When the Fire Goes Out
by LumiOlivier
Summary: After taking down the devil himself, a girl needs to get away, doesn't she? Even though it puts her brothers in a worry and opens up a golden opportunity for someone new to slip into her life. (Sequel to A Family Forged in Fire) **Updates every Thursday**
1. Prologue

**A/N: Well, well, well…We meet again, friends. It's been quite some time since I ended "A Family Forged in Fire". If you haven't read it yet, this isn't going to make a lick of sense to you, so I suggest you do that real quick. It's 29 chapters long. A little over 87,000 words. It's good fun mixed with moments that will tear your heart out. This is going to get posts every Thursday once January hits and I'm done with my usual Thursday updates. So, please, friends. Enjoy this little prologue to hold you over until then.**

I felt awful about leaving my baby at a storage unit in Lebanon, but if I got caught driving my Mustang, there's no doubt Sam and Dean would take me home right away. Instead, I left my credit card in the glove box and took what little cash I had left to buy a bus ticket. The first thing those two would do after turning on my GPS would be to check my credit cards. Sorry, boys. I love you, but if I don't want to be found, I'm going to stay missing.

Unfortunately, my funds started running low once I hit a small town in Missouri. I didn't even realize we were headed east. Not that I'm complaining. This place had maybe three hundred people on a good day and I had about thirty bucks to my name. Not quite enough for a motel or another bus, but I could at least get some hot food in my stomach before I hustle pool for a bed. If being with Sam and Dean taught me anything, it was an appreciation for diner food. And this place had promise. Good vibe, good pastry case. I'm in.

"What can I get for you, sweetie?" an older woman came up to my spot at the counter.

"Um," I checked over the menu real quick, "A cheeseburger and a sweet tea please."

"Sure," she stuck my order on the line in the window and got my drink, "Forgive me if I'm crossing a line here, but isn't it a little late for a girl your age to be out? I'm sure your parents are worried."

"Actually," I took a long drink from my tea. This may have been my extreme thirst talking, but this could quite possibly be the best sweet tea I've ever had in my life, "My parents died when I was a baby. And I'm twenty-two years old."

"I'm so sorry, honey," my waitress took my hands, "Somebody out there has to care about you."

"Nope," I lied, "It's just me."

"There's no way you're twenty-two," she looked me over.

"Yeah, I am," I got defensive, taking one of my IDs out, "Says so right here."

"Annie Wilson," she read the name, "And you're twenty-two?"

"Yep."

"Says you're twenty-six on here," she saw through me, "Fake ID?'

"Dammit," I grumbled under my breath, "So are you calling cops on me?"

"No," she shook her head, "I was your age once. I understand. You're not local, are you, Annie?"

"No."

"And if you don't mind me asking," she grabbed my burger out of the window, "How old are you really?"

"Fifteen," my eyes stayed affixed to my food, but I could feel her pity from a mile away.

"Let me get this straight," she sorted things out, "You're a fifteen-year-old orphan passing through town all by yourself with multiple fake IDs?"

"When you put it that way..." I winced.

"And you're coming to a diner at ten o'clock at night?" she went on.

"I get it," I got defensive, "I'm a little miscreant. You sound like the nuns."

"I'm not judging, sweetie."

"You're definitely a first," I was still trying to suppress the very first.

"Look, Annie," she began, "If that even is your real name."

"It's not," I might have given hunting up, but that didn't mean I was stupid. I kept my voice down, "Christo..."

Nothing...Good, "What was that?"

"It's Lena," I told her. Pretty sure she's not a demon.

"Well, Lena," she continued, "I've done some things I'm not proud of. But you know what? I got out of it. This diner helped with that."

"How?" I wondered, "Are you in good with the owner or something?"

"It's nothing like that."

"Oh," I popped a fry in my mouth.

"Because I'm the owner," she clarified, "Things can get better for you, too."

I doubt she ever got held captive in Hell by Lucifer himself, but my waitress seemed like she knew what she was talking about. In a way, she was like the hug my spirit needed. I wish there was a word for angels like there was for demons. Maybe she's got wings and a halo. Although, I remember Dean saying most angels were dicks.

"Thank you," I smiled a bit, finishing my food, "How much do I owe you?"

"On the house," she waved, "By the way, honey, if you need somewhere to crash tonight, talk to Vivian."

"And where's Vivian?"

"I'm Vivian," she introduced herself, "Where are you staying?"

"Is there a motel in town?" I asked. Not sure how long I'll be able to stay in one...

"A couple," Vivian nodded, "Look, Lena, you're a little girl down on her luck. You can stay with me if you want. I promise I'm not a serial killer."

"What?" I gasped, "Vivian, no. I couldn't impose like that. First you pay for my food and now this? I can't..."

"Oh, hush," she scolded, "Like I said, I'm not a serial killer. And if it makes you feel any better, you're not staying for free."

"Alright," I felt a little better, "How much?"

"Work it off here," Vivian bargained, "I'm sure you can take people's orders, can't you?"

"Well, yeah," I said, "A monkey could do that, but..."

"No buts," she stopped me, "Let me close the diner and we'll go home."

"Ok," Vivian reminded me a little bit of Jody. It wouldn't surprise me if Jody's done the same thing. She always had a thing about keeping an eye out for the broken ones and would never turn away any kind of stray. I would've went up to her, but it'd be the first place the boys would look. Not to mention, she'd probably call and tell them where I was.

Once Vivian locked the front door, she and I got into a pale blue Oldsmobile and took off. This town was pretty cute. Small, quaint...Kind of like Hartford. Maybe I could squat here for a while. When we pulled up to Vivian's house, I thought of a gingerbread house. This place looked like it could be a gingerbread house. Cute and quaint. Just like the rest of the town. At least until I got enough money to leave again.

"Here, sweetheart," Vivian led me inside and down the hall to an empty bedroom, "You can stay in here as long as you need to."

"Thank you, Vivian," I threw my bag on the bed, "I really appreciate it."

"No need to thank me, Lena," she insisted, "it's called having a conscience. You know, I always wanted a daughter."

"If you don't mind me asking," I treaded lightly, "Why didn't you?"

"My husband didn't want kids," Vivian and I sat on the bed, "I did. Tried everything to get pregnant, but I found out he was slipping me Plan B or birth control of some kind."

"Sounds like a dick," I gasped, "Where is he now?"

"Frying in Hell," she sighed, "Or at least I hope so. Abusive son of a bitch."

"Tell us how you really feel," I chuckled a bit, "How did he die?"

"An angel was looking out for me," Vivian smiled, "He got into a car accident coming home from the bar."

It made me wonder if the angel on my shoulder was still keeping an eye out for me. If Cas were to find me, would he tell Sam and Dean? No doubt. I'm sure he knew the angel looking out for her. I kicked my shoes off, "Really, Vivian. Thank you for letting me stay here."

"You're welcome, sweetie," she grabbed the quilt off the rocking chair in the corner and covered me up, "Get some sleep, ok? You got a big day tomorrow."

"I will."

Vivian kissed my forehead and killed the lights on the way out, "Good night, Lena."

"Good night." It might have been a lot more mellow than I was used to, but maybe I could stick around here for a while. Once I get on my feet again anyway.

Especially if things were going to be like this. When I woke up, the smell of pancakes hung in the air. I never got breakfast in the bunker, let alone pancakes. The smell was intoxicating. I got out of bed and went into the kitchen. Vivian stood at her stove, flipping the source of the sweet aroma hugging my soul.

"Well," she chimed, "Good morning, sleepyhead. How was your first night? Sleep ok?"

"Yeah," I rubbed my eyes, "Oddly enough."

I hadn't gotten a decent night's sleep since I left the bunker. Even when I was there, sleep was sketchy. That bed felt like laying on a marshmallow and I loved it. Although, I'd have to do a little renovation before I go to sleep. I was off the radar and I wanted to stay that way, but that didn't mean I was going to let my windowsill go unsalted. Or that I was going to leave my room unwarded. All in all, I could get used to this.

"Go ahead and have a seat," Vivian offered, "What do you want on yours?"

"Oh," I got a cup from the cabinet, "I'm good. Thank you, though."

"No," she put her foot down, "You need breakfast, too. Now, what do you want on them?"

"More sundae than pancake," I told her, "But first, I'm going to go outside for a second."

"Getting a dose of vitamin D right away, are we?" Vivian guessed, taking another pancake off the stove.

"No," I grabbed my lighter, "I'm going to go out for a cigarette. Something tells me I can't smoke in the house."

"You shouldn't be smoking period," she scolded me, "They're no good for you."

"Yeah, I know," I poured myself a cup of coffee, "My brother tried getting me to quit a while back, but it didn't work out."

"Lena," Vivian's voice dripped with disappointment, "You have such porcelain skin. You don't need to be smoking."

"Like I told my brother," I let out a heavy sigh, "I can quit them, but they can't quit me."

"You know," she stepped out with me, "I didn't know you had family, sweetie."

"Well..." I lit my cigarette.

"Oh," Vivian caught herself, "I see I hit a touchy subject."

"It's fine," I brushed her off, "I have a brother. Two of them, actually. They're good dudes, but they'd take a bullet for me when they don't need to."

"That's called family, hon," she gave me a little nudge, "What happened?"

"I couldn't be their damsel in distress anymore," I vented, "I love them. Damn, do I love them. But I can't be their burden. So, I took off. I don't even know if they're looking for me."

"Something tells me they are," Vivian thought, "I know we haven't known each other long, Lena, but you don't strike me as the type to turn away family. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go have breakfast."

I hated that she had me pegged already, but she's right. Was I really that predictable? I liked to think I wasn't. Maybe she had a point. Of course Sam and Dean were looking for me. They're martyrs like that. They didn't know how to leave not so well enough along. I did miss my boys, though. But they didn't need me to be their burden. They had enough on their plate. Sam and Dean didn't need to deal with me on top of it.

It was weird having a cigarette by myself. I'd usually have one with Cas here. I'm sure if I prayed for him to come, he'd be here. Then again, he'd probably take Sam and Dean with him. Or at least tell them where I am. I didn't want to be found. I didn't need to be rescued. I was a big girl that could take care of herself. It's not like I didn't take precautions.

Vivian thought I was weird when I asked her for the salt and put it in my windowsill. For the next few weeks, everything seemed so odd. Was this what normalcy felt like? Vivian took me in like I was one of her own and gave me a mildly well-paying job all out of the goodness of her heart. Maybe she was secretly an angel and reported to Cas. I doubt it, though. I'm sure Cas would've popped up by now.

One day, I woke up and realized I had a routine. I had boring and mundane for the first time in my life and I loved it. No monsters. No demons. No dealing with the supernatural. I was a simple girl that worked a simple diner. It was weird, but I'd take this new weird over my old normal any day of the week.

"Lena!" Vivian called for me, "Order!"

"Thank you!" I went to the pick-up window to get an order from Boomer, the usual cook in the back. He was a good dude. If any customers got weird with me, they met Boomer in the alley. I brought everyone's order to their respective tables in hopes of a nice tip.

"Hey," Vivian gave me a nudge around the usual breakfast rush, "You're welcome."

"Thank you?" I gave her a look, "Why am I thanking you?"

"A couple of beautiful boys just walked in," she pointed out, "I sat them in your section. They look like feds, though, so behave yourself."

I looked over at their booth and my stomach dropped. Crap. Not good. Immediately, I sat on the floor behind the counter, hoping to God they didn't see me, "Nope. I'll pass."

"Seriously?" Vivian gasped, "Why not?"

"I just..." I gagged, "I can't, Vivian. I appreciate the effort, but no."

"Why?" she got down next to me, "Lena, sweetie, you're not on the run, are you?"

"Only from them," I clarified, "Please, Vivian. You have to take them. I can't..."

"Hold on," Vivian thought for a minute, "Honey, are those your brothers?"

"Yeah..."

"I'll take care of it," she got me. Vivian knew I was on the run. She knew I wanted to stay that way. Vivian went back to the boys' table, "Sorry for keeping you waiting, gentlemen. My usual waitress went on break. What can I get for you?"

"Two coffees please," Sam ordered.

"No problem," Vivian didn't even need to write it down, "Anything else?"

"Actually," Dean asked, "We're working a missing persons case and there's a chance she might be here. Have you seen a girl, about 5'2", blonde, blue eyes, walks around with a chip on her shoulder?"

What the hell? I don't have a chip on my shoulder. Relax, Lena. If you freak out too much, you might as well put a flashing neon arrow pointing to yourself. Although, he did have me pegged, as much as I didn't want to admit it. I was really starting to think I was just predictable.

"No," Vivian lied, taking a look at the picture of me on Dean's phone, "I haven't seen her. If the FBI is looking for her, does that mean she's dangerous?"

"She wouldn't hurt a fly," Sam assured, fully aware of how many monster bodies I've dropped, "Her family just really wants her home."

"I'm sorry, sweetie," she put two cups on the table, "I wish there was something I could do for you."

"Call us if you see her," Dean begged, "She's a very special little girl."

"I'm sure she is," Vivian agreed, "Can I get you some breakfast, boys? On the house?"

"Thank you so much," Sam flashed her a smile that was enough to give anyone diabetes, "That sounds great."

"Anything specific or you want me to surprise you?" she offered.

"Two specials," Dean ordered, "Thank you."

"No need to thank me, sweetie," Vivian awed, "Anything for a couple of boys in blue. I'll have it out as soon as I can, ok?"

"Thank you."

Vivian came back to the counter where I was hiding, "Boomer, go ahead and take your break."

"Thanks, Viv," Boomer chimed from the pick-up window.

"You, young lady," she pulled me onto my feet, making sure the boys weren't watching and dragged me into the kitchen, "You start cooking. I need two specials."

"I don't cook, Vivian," I pointed out, "I take orders."

"Can you cook?"

"Yeah."

"Then, get to it," Vivian smiled, "Make me proud."

"But Vivian..."

"Unless you want to be out there," she wondered, "Where your brothers are sitting and looking for you."

"Ok," Vivian was strong willed. I couldn't say no to her.

When I finished up two specials and rang the bell, she brought them out to Sam and Dean. I kept watch from the window. Those boys were suckers for my cooking. At times, I'd manage to take our piece of crap motel room's coffee pot and make a full meal on it. They always seemed surprised no matter how many times I did it. Just like when they took their first bites. My brothers turned pale.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Dean asked.

"Lena?" Sam figured.

"Tastes just like Lena's cooking."

I wonder why that was. Looks like I'm going to have to skip town again. Dammit. And I was starting to like it here, too. Leave it to Sam and Dean to ruin it for me. They were the sole reason why we couldn't have nice things most of the time, but sometimes, they were why we had nice things. Oh, well. Back to the open road, I guess.

 **A/N: Well? I've had that sitting on the back burner for quite some time, to be honest. Probably a couple years. And that's only the beginning. When we come back, it's going to be a few months ahead from this. Any questions, comments, concerns are always appreciated. Follows and favorites are fun, too. And I'll see you next chapter. xx**


	2. The Name on Everybody's Lips

It sucked having to leave Missouri. Hell, it sucked even worse having to leave Kansas. But I had to do it. I was a big girl and I could stand on my own. I'll always be grateful to Sam and Dean for everything they had done for me. Not many people would literally go to Hell and back for me, let alone take on Lucifer himself. But in the end, it was me who kicked Satan's ass with the power he was dumb enough to give me. Although, I kind of felt bad for him. All he wanted was someone to love and someone to pass his wisdom onto. However, that wouldn't be me.

I had made enough working at Vivian's diner to go back to my life of bus hopping and I got all the way to the east coast. Luckily, there was a local theatre that was looking for some stagehands in Baltimore that paid enough for me to live on, so I started working there. In a couple weeks, I managed to make enough to afford rent on an apartment that wasn't just some seedy motel room. A cozy little place to call home for the next year and a half. I didn't have much for furniture, but it's not like I was throwing ragers here anyway. All my friends were either in South Dakota, dead, or on the hunt for me. After our near run-in in Missouri, I needed a way to hide from the boys a little better. That required a name change. Especially for what happened last week.

There was an open casting call for the theatre who was putting on a small production of Chicago. When I was still at the orphanage in Hartford, I remember listening to the soundtrack time and time again. I knew the whole thing by heart. It was one of my favorite musicals. One night, when I was setting up the soundboard after the auditions for the day were done, Mike, the director, had approached me.

"Hey, Lizzie," he asked, "Are you busy tonight?"

"No...?" I gave him a look, a little sketched out, "Why?"

"You act like I don't hear you," Mike jabbed, "When you're humming the numbers to yourself when you're outside. You stand right outside the door when you're smoking."

"What do you mean?" I tried to hide my blushing, but my body had other plans. Dick.

"Here," he gave me one of the wireless mics, "Go down to the stage and serenade me."

"I don't perform," I pointed out, "I do tech."

"No, you don't," Mike dug deeper, "You think you can only do tech. Go down to the stage and sing me anything you want."

"I can't sing."

"Bull."

Dammit...I rolled my eyes, "Fine! I'm not doing anything major."

"That's for me to decide..." In all seriousness, Mike was a good dude. Anything I needed, he was usually there. And now, I had to repay the favor. I thought back through the various songs I knew and which one I wanted to hit acapella. A sweet, fuzzy memory came back to me. That time I had to go back to high school for some undercover work. I still owed Dean a smack for not letting me sleep in class. Another time.

Did I want to bust out Hallelujah, though? Mike might think I'm good enough to do more than a supporting or a background role if I do that. I wasn't in the mood to show off, so I kept thinking on my way down the ramp. When I was still riding in the Impala, it was a rarity that Dean ever switched it to something that wasn't classic rock. Not that I was complaining. It reminded me of some of the jams I'd hear in the bar when I was younger. That was it...

"I hope you realize how big of a deal this is, Mike," I groaned into the headset.

"And I love you for it," he smirked, "Now, dance, monkey, dance."

I casually raised my middle finger and finally picked something. This one in particular didn't bring back fuzzy memories. More like sad ones. The last time I was in Hartford to see my boys. Such a shame it had to be at my best friend's funeral. But the boys and I, with Sam and Dean in tow, did a nice tribute to our fallen the best way we knew how. We brought the band back together for one song and one only.

"Wake and pray," I began, "Work all day. I walk pass the places that I used to lay. Now, I'm paying my way. I'm paying my way. Some days are hard, some days are long. Some days I'm weak, some days I'm strong. I'm paying my way. I'm paying my way."

I continued to serenade him with the words of Dropkick Murphys until the song was done. That took a lot more out of me than I thought it would. A lot more than just the bar memories started flooding back. Every time I heard that song, not only did it make me think about my boys in Hartford, but it made me think of the closest thing I had to family. That whole song was basically Sam and Dean in a nutshell. And, in a way, me, too.

When I finished my song, I looked up to Mike, curious as to what he had to say about that. I didn't even try all that hard. Because if I did, I knew I'd end up in a main role and I didn't want that. I didn't even want to do this much, but I couldn't say no. Not to Mike. In that case...Why wasn't he saying anything?

"Mike?" I called up to him, "You're still there, right? The lights are kind of bright from this angle."

"I'm still here," he promised, "It's been a long day. Why don't we call it quits and we'll talk in the morning?"

"Alright," I took my headset off and brought it back to the sound booth. The thought of going home sounded like a hell of a plan.

I got back to my cozy little one-bedroom apartment on the west side of Baltimore and curled up in bed. Going legit had turned me soft. I had a real job, a real apartment, and I hadn't gone ghostbusting in a long time. Uncle Bobby told me. Sam and Dean told me. There was no out once somebody becomes a hunter. Yet, here I was. I had a bad habit of checking the closets and the windows and the doors for anything sketchy before I went to sleep. I might not be hunting, but I'm not stupid.

The next day, I got up to go to work and found a cast list on the door. I knew Mike was going to cast me after last night. We needed to talk anyway. He said last night that we could talk in the morning. Just for laughs, I thought I'd see where Mike decided to put me. On the plus side, it'd be more money. The talent got paid more than the crew. That wasn't a secret. Even being in the chorus, I'd get a nice little raise.

Once I looked at the list, I started at the bottom with the chorus. No me. That's either a good thing or a very, very bad thing. Either way, I kept making my way up. Supporting cast...Didn't see my name anywhere there either. Some theatre regular as Velma Kelly. Another as Amos Hart. And another as Billy Flynn. But then, I froze. Dammit, Mike...In big, bold letters, the cast list said Lizzie Blackstone as Roxie Hart. Son of a bitch...

"Mike!" I stormed into the theatre.

"Hi there, Lizzie," he smiled, "How are you?"

"I think there's a misprint on the cast list," I kept my fingers crossed, "It says Lizzie Blackstone as Roxie Hart. Are you mixing the cast with the crew?"

"No," Mike's grin only grew, "There are no misprints. You were holding back on me last night, young lady. You better get over that by opening night."

"Why?" I asked, "Why did you cast me as Roxie?"

"Because I think you'd be a good Roxie," he admitted, "Look, Lizzie, I know there's a performer in you. You were way too natural on that stage. When most people step up there for the first time, they're more jittery than a pack of Mexican jumping beans. You? You were so level, so calm. You were my Roxie right then and there. I know you're going to make me proud."

"I hate you."

"I love you, too," Mike threw an arm around me, "Now, go get a script, so we can do the first read through."

"Hey, Mike," I stopped him, "One more thing..."

"You get paid $50 per show."

"And how many shows are we doing?" I wondered, a little more compliant.

"Three a day for two weeks, plus an extra show on the weekends."

Hell yeah! An extra $2300 in my pocket? Not complaining in the least, "And do I still get paid for working crew?"

"You're not going to be crew," Mike pointed out, "You're going to be leading. Now, go on. Get a script and get to learning your lines, Roxie Hart. You're going to be the biggest thing this town has ever seen."

And that led me to now. Opening night. Weeks of hard, long practices that made me want to shoot myself by the end. Choreographers working me to the bone. A vocal coach twice a week outside of rehearsal. And the costume fittings...Oh, the costume fittings. Chicago had bright, sparkly, glitter encrusted costumes. It's the roaring twenties. Of course they're going to be able to be seen from space. But being yanked on by rough seamstresses was my own private Hell. Actual Hell wasn't even as bad!

Although, I must admit. I did improve big time from day one. My movements were much more on point. My vocals were killer to begin with, but now, I could probably shatter glass. And it showed on stage. I got up, killed a man, went to prison, made friends, didn't stab anyone in the yard, and became a star. Just an average day for Roxie Hart.

I remember when that was an average day for Lena Winchester...Getting up, killing monsters, saving people, going to bed. And sometimes, I'd even make friends along the way. Sometimes, those friends would end up family...I missed them. After the final show of the night, my feet were killing me. I just wanted to kick my feet up backstage, take a drink of celebratory champagne, and go home. Only to do it all again tomorrow night. At least Mike was good enough to give the actors the morning off. However, I was kind of liking the alone time in the dressing room.

"Hey, Lizzie," one of the stagehands called for me, "You got a visitor."

"I do?" I sat up, radars going off, "Did they say who they were?"

"No."

"One person or were there two?" I bit my tongue.

"Just one."

Please don't be Sam and Dean. Please don't be Cas. Please don't be Chuck. Please don't be anyone I know. Be an agent or a talent scout or something along those lines, but please. For the love of God, don't let it be anyone I know, "Ok. Send them back here."

"Right this way, sir," the stagehand escorted.

"Hello, darling..." a familiar voice greeted me.

"Crap," I groaned to myself. So much for having nice things.

"Musicals?" he judged, "You? I never expected you to be the type."

"It's paying really well, so I'm not complaining," I threw myself on the couch, "What do you want, Crowley? I'm exhausted and I'm not in the mood to deal with you right now."

"Lena, I'm hurt," Crowley shut the door behind him.

"Seriously, though," I buried my face in the cushions, "What do you want? How'd you even find me?"

"You didn't exactly make it easy," he sat with me.

"I try," I shrugged, "If I don't want to be found, I won't be found."

"Where have I heard that one before?" Crowley thought, "It's on the tip of my tongue...By the way, if you want to hide even better, you might want to stay away from muscle cars."

"Sticking with what I know." And I couldn't leave my baby in good conscience in a storage locker in Lebanon anymore. I had my friend Luke bring her back to me. Brendon would've done it, but he had the kids to keep an eye on and Luke wanted a road trip. Besides, I knew he wouldn't tell Sam and Dean where I was, "Why are you here, Crowley? Why can't you just leave well enough alone?"

"This is what you call well enough alone?" he winced. Wow. You know it's bad when you got the King of Hell cringing, "Oh, Lena, I'm disappointed."

"Don't remember asking for your approval."

"You really are a Winchester, aren't you?" Crowley sighed, "And that's another thing. What's with people calling you Lizzie? I thought your name was Lena."

"My middle name is Elizabeth," I clarified, "The boys are looking for Lena. It's my name on the credits."

"And as Roxie Hart, too," he gave me a nudge, "I stayed through the whole show. Nicely done. I didn't think you had that in you."

"Not by choice," I assured, "The director forced me."

"How about this?" Crowley suggested, "You finish up here and I'll buy you a drink. We need to talk anyway."

"Why...?" I whined.

"It's free booze, Lena. You're not going to turn that down."

"Not necessarily," I argued, "I've been on the pretty straight and narrow lately other than cigarettes. I haven't had a drink in a few months."

"Shall we break that streak then?" Crowley insisted.

I got up from the couch and threw my hoody on, "You really are a demon, aren't you?"

"Last I checked."

I grabbed my stuff and headed out, fighting the crowd. Trying to go unrecognized after being Roxie Hart wasn't exactly easy. Especially when I have the King of Hell saying he's my agent escorting me out. Crowley never could fly under the radar. There was a bar down the street from the theatre that reminded me a lot of home. A little hole in the wall in downtown Baltimore that only had enough business to stay open. And that's what I loved about it the most.

When we walked in, the place looked like a ghost town. Lucky us. Usually, when one is best pals with a demon, that's not exactly something that should be advertised. The fewer people around, the better. The two of us got a booth and I threw a five in the jukebox. Call me nostalgic, but I put on some Bob Segar and waited for Crowley to bring me a drink. I wonder if he remembered what to get me. Same thing I've always drank. Jack and Coke, half and half. Thank you, Castiel.

"Here you are, darling," Crowley set my glass down, "You still drink whiskey, do you not?"

"What else would I drink?" I took my first sip of alcohol in months and felt it warm the inside of my belly, "What did you say my last name was?"

"It's Winchester, as far as I'm concerned," he sat down with a big ass piña colada in hand. I never took Crowley to be one for the fruity drinks, "Yet you say it's Blackstone."

"It is Blackstone," I confirmed, "Legally speaking anyway. The boys never formally adopted me."

"Now, onto more pressing matters," Crowley switched tangents.

"You're right," I nodded, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Keeping an eye on you," he played with the little umbrella in his glass, "Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot," I kept drinking on my whiskey. Damn, that's good...

"Why'd you leave?" Crowley wondered, "After we took down Lucifer, which, nicely done."

"Thank you."

"You took off out of the blue," he went on, "Why...?"

"Why are you following me around?" I retaliated.

"My, my," Crowley grinned, "So defensive. You haven't changed a bit. And as much as I detest your brothers, I like you. And you know you're not Blackstone..."

"I know," I rolled my eyes, "I'm more Winchester than anything."

"That's entirely up to you, Roxie Hart," he nudged me under the table, "They're scouring the country for you, Lena...You do know that, right?"

"Yeah..." I'd wake up to three or four missed calls from them on a regular basis. Hey, Lena. We're working a job here. We could probably use another pair of hands. If you're in the area, you should come hunt with us. Hey, Lena. We'll be passing through this town. If you're anywhere near there, you should come say hi. We miss you. Each one more heartbreaking than the last. Even after all this time, they were still calling. They still worried.

I didn't have to worry about them. My boys could get through anything. They've been through the literal apocalypse and survived. I've seen them kill many a monster over our time together. I've seen them take on demons and angels and archangels and vampires and werewolves and djinn and wraiths and anything trying to kill humankind. They were fine. Even though sometimes they needed couples therapy, but other than that...They were fine...Right?

"You should pick up once in a while," Crowley had a seldom heard mom voice, but when it came out...

"Have you told them anything about me?" I asked, "Where I am? What I've been doing?"

"No," he promised, "I have more than just you to worry about. I have an empire to run. And not just any empire."

"And it's going to stay that way?" I hoped, "I don't think I'm ready for that quite yet."

"Well..." Crowley hummed, "If you're still wanting to stay off the radar, I think I can help you with that."

"What do you mean...?" I grew skeptical. Or paranoid.

"You're wanting to hide from your brothers, right?" he assumed, a glint in his eye.

"Right…" I kept my guard up. He and I might be buddies, but Crowley's still Crowley. A tricky creature and he had a look about him. The ulterior motive look.

"I have a proposition for you," Crowley ordered us another round, "I'll keep your secret identity a secret from Rocky and Bullwinkle. In the meantime, you and I can go play for a while. It's been so long since I've seen that cute little face of yours. We are besties, are we not?"

"I don't know if I'd go as far as besties," I put him in check, "But we do have a good working relationship."

"Come on, Lena," he begged, "I promise it'll be fun. Just the two of us. No monsters, no demons on your back. Most importantly, I can keep the boys out of the picture as long as you want me to. Good old-fashioned fun. It'll be great."

Again, this could just be my paranoia acting up, but Crowley paints too pretty a picture. And the way he called this a proposition put a weird knot in my stomach. I knew exactly what was going on here. I may have been on the bench for a while, but Uncle Bobby didn't raise no idiot. I knew what Crowley was trying to get out of me.

"So, what?" I spoke softly, "I say yes, we hang out and pal around for the next ten years, and then, you take my soul back to hell for a much less pleasant experience than my first time around?"

"This isn't a dean," Crowley promised, "No strings. You get to keep your soul."

"Forgive me if I'm skeptical," I gave him a look, "Crowley, I adore the hell out of you, but with you, there are always strings."

"Not this time," he swore, "Lena, I like you. All the other demons are merely pawns to me. Your brothers would rather me dead. Angels are out of the question. Do you really expect me to go out and find some other human to have the same connection I already have with you?"

"So, you pick me because you can't make a friend?" I figured.

"It gets lonely, being me," Crowley vented, kicking his foot up on my leg, "Making enemies has always come as easy as breathing to me. Making friends, though…Business associates, I guess, but none of them are like you. They all have a stick up their asses. I promise you. No strings. Just us taking a howl at the moon together."

Something still didn't feel right. I wasn't entirely buying his sob story. Then again, it did make sense. Despite his power, I could see Crowley not being the world's most likeable guy. But I liked him. Was I really the only other person across the whole cosmos he could consider a friend? Wow, Crowley…You need to learn to branch out, my guy.

On the other hand, Crowley did say he could keep me off the radar. Even though the boys were looking for me, I still didn't want to be found. I wasn't near ready for something like that. Not only was Crowley offering his friendship, but his protecting, too. If this life has taught me anything, it's that having a demon on hand isn't always exactly a bad thing. And I wasn't on the good side of just any demon.

I stared into the end of my whiskey, seeing all of my life choices in its reflection. He's a demon, Lena. That's not a good thing, no matter how you try to justify it. But it's not some demon. It's Crowley. I'm sure he'd do anything in his power to keep me safe. He might be a dick, but he's a dick with a heart of gold. And he's never done anything to screw me over…I threw the rest of my whiskey back, "No strings?"

"No strings?"

"Swear?"

"On my life."

"Alright," I agreed, "I'm in."

"Wonderful," Crowley finished his drink, "As much of a delight Baltimore is, when can we leave?"

"Let me finish my run with Chicago," I told him, "Then, I'll grab my last paycheck, I can take care of a few loose ends, and then, we can get the hell out of here."

"Fine by me," he helped me up from my spot in our booth, "Shall we then?"

"Yeah," I grabbed my bag, "I'm exhausted. Sleep sounds like a damn good idea."

"Are you still staying at the first motel in the phonebook?" Crowley guessed.

"I thought I'd stay in my apartment," I shrugged, "But I'm not going to stop you."

"Your what?" he gasped.

"I know," I lit up a cigarette as soon as we stepped outside, "Shut up."

"No, no," Crowley went on, "You have a legitimate job, a permanent residence that isn't underground, and you can keep food in your stomach and clothes on your back?"

"Yep," a small cloud of smoke rolled off my lips.

"Look at you," he gushed, throwing an arm around me, "My little girl is growing up so fast. Is this what it feels like to be a proud parent?"

"I wouldn't know," I rolled my eyes.

"I think I like it," Crowley awed, "What else has my strong, independent woman done with her life that I can be proud of her for?"

"Exhibited an insane amount of self-control to keep herself from punching a demon," I admitted, stomping out the end of my cigarette, "You want to crash on my couch or do you have a room?"

"I thought we'd be leaving sooner rather than later…"

Damn demons…Pains in my ass, "Fine. Since we have a little time left in Baltimore, you can stay with me. So help me, though, Crowley. One little peep…"

"I'll be as quiet as a church mouse," Crowley assured, "Pinky promise."

Great. I trade having two of the best hunters to ever exist for the King of Hell as a roommate. And for the next two weeks, too. What could possibly go wrong? As long as he keeps his mouth shut about me and stays out of my Pop Tarts and my big ass jar of Red Vines, we should be ok. It was hard enough keeping Dean out of them when I was still in the bunker. I could be petty and set some devil's traps under them. But I'm not that bad.

After what felt like an eternity of Crowley's hand being a dolphin out my car window, we pulled up to my building and went into my apartment. Home sweet home. I've been running late practice for the past few months, so my apartment wasn't exactly spotless. Oh well. When I get a spare moment, I'll think about tidying up. Until then, I needed sleep.

"That's it?" Crowley followed me into my bedroom, "No pillow talk?"

"I wanted to go to bed when I was in my dressing room," I pointed out, falling into the loving embrace of my bed, "Going out was nowhere in my plans."

"Well then," he covered me up, "Good night, Lena…"

"Good night," I nestled in a little better. Just when I think I'm out, I get dragged back in. Crowley killed the light on his way out and I took one last look at my phone. One new voicemail. Gee. Who could it be?

"Hey, kiddo," a deep, rumbly voice barely spoke above a whisper, "Just thought I'd…I'm sounding like a broken record here, Lena. It wouldn't kill you to answer one of these damn things once in a while! You got Sam and me worried sick! Just pick up your phone! Ahem…Look. We got a job in Boston in case you care. An extra pair of hands wouldn't hurt. I just want…I just want some answers, Lena. I miss you."

Hell of a way to end the day. Me feeling like the bitch of the week. I'm sorry, Dean. I just need to be on my own for a while. I love you…And I hope you understand.

 **A/N: So, our pal Lena is going to be hanging around that demon again. And she's gone Broadway! Well…Off Broadway…She's doing theatre! Let's go with that one. And despite the fact that her boys miss her, we got Crowley! So, we got that going for us. Another thing we got going for us is that WE'RE BACK, BITCHES! Back here, you and me, every Thursday like the good old days. I missed you. I mean, we had the prologue back in November, but that was merely a teaser. Now, we got actual story! Now, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, you are more than welcome to voice them in the review section. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go read Death Note manga to my dog. See you next chapter! xx**


	3. Good Morning, Baltimore

**A/N: It's Thursday, my dudes. You know what that means! Strippers and ice cream for everyone! No…I don't have that kind of money. Writing fic doesn't pay the bills, unfortunately. If I could get one dollar for my total views across all my stories in a lump sum right now, do you know how beautiful that would be? *coughcough*Joinmy*coughcough*Idonthavea*coughcough*Soundslikeahellofanideathough*cough* Jesus, cold and flu season hits hard, doesn't it? Fake assistant, can I get some water, please? You don't have any water, ma'am. Remember? You had it all replaced with anything containing caffeine. Oh, that's right. The watercooler is actually full of Red Bull. Well, get me some of that. Yes, ma'am. Right away…**

 **But all that aside, I do believe you're here for a little Supernatural fic that's currently going through a little bit of melodrama? Then again, what's Supernatural without the melodrama? But! We do have the little devil we know and love hanging around our adoptive Winchester, so we got that going for us. Yay! Let's see what those crazy kids are up to this week, yeah?**

When I woke up the next morning, I half expected my new roommate to be in my face. Nothing. Not even a good morning. If I didn't know any better, I'd think he wasn't even here, but demon stink was all over the place here. I needed coffee. That's for damn sure. I walked out into my kitchen and got a pot started. Cup...Cup...I felt around in my cabinet blindly for a clean coffee cup.

That's when things took a strange turn. I glanced in my sink for maybe a second or two. Last I checked, I had dishes in here. They were clean, but I hadn't gotten around to putting them away. I looked into the living room. Spotless. What the hell kind of topsy-turvy universe did I wake up in. Then, with a neat, little bow, the note on the fridge tied everything together.

 _Hire a maid._

 _xoxo_

 _-C_

I should've known he had something to do with it. Bless him. For being a demon, Crowley really could be a sweetheart. Before I got too overwhelmed by my clean apartment, I went back to my coffee. Wake up a bit more, Lena. You'll be alright. OD on caffeine and you'll be fine. I did need some creamer, though. When was the last time I bought creamer? It's probably on fumes by now.

When I opened the fridge, my heart stopped. I couldn't remember the last time I had a full fridge. Right down to my Almond Joy creamer! Hell yeah! This was amazing! Food in the fridge, a clean apartment, and I didn't have to do any of it. Hot damn, it's going to be a good day. I haven't had many roommates in my lifetime, but I'm sure I could call Crowley the best roommate I've ever had.

"Lena, I'm back," Crowley came in through the front door, "I did a quick sweep of Baltimore and you seem to be..."

I threw myself in my favorite demon's chest, hugging him tight, "Thank you."

"Ok...?" he peeled me off him, "Why? Why the sudden affection?"

"You know what you did," I awed, "I'm just saying thank you."

"Whatever you say," Crowley inched away from me, "Are you on any sort of new medications I should know about? Allergies, mood elevators?"

"Did you or did you not clean my apartment last night?"

"I might have gotten bored while you were sleeping," he fessed up, "And I didn't want to draw too much attention to myself. What of it?"

"Never mind," I let that gift horse go, "So, about that whole howling at the moon thing..."

"I know of it."

"What all does that entail?" I wondered, kicking my bare feet up on my coffee table.

"Think of it this way," Crowley put it into perspective, "What's one thing you've always wanted to do, but you could never do it because of what would happen?"

"I don't know," I thought it over, "Bungee jumping would probably be pretty cool, but I'd more than likely end up hurting myself."

"You're thinking too small," he rolled his eyes, "Think bigger."

"Bigger, huh?" I kept digging around in my mind, but came up short, "I don't know. I guess I never thought about it before."

"I want you to think of this as fun without consequence," Crowley explained, "A nonstop party train and you're the one behind the wheel."

"All the fun and none of the guilt?" I must admit. Crowley was painting a very pretty picture, "So...Like, robbing a liquor store and then, we break into a Hostess factory and have ourselves a night?"

"That's more like it," he praised, "Still a bit small scale. I was thinking an empire, but cheap wine and Twinkies sound nice, too. And it can go on as long as you want it to. Wherever you go, I can make anything you want happen."

"You know," I grabbed my cigarettes off the kitchen table. Where the hell did Crowley put my lighter? I could've sworn I left it right here, "Where is it?"

"What?"

"My lighter," I shot him a glare, "If you were the one to do all the cleaning last night, you must have moved it. Where did you put it?"

"You and I are going to be spending a lot more time together, Lena," Crowley took my lighter out of his pocket, "Can't really have one without the other, can we?"

"Very funny," I rolled my eyes, "Come on, Crowley. Give me my lighter."

"Only if you give me your cigarettes."

I let out a heavy, exasperated sigh, "You're not giving me much of a choice, are you?"

"Nope."

"It's like I told Sam," I sat next to the little devil, "I can quit them any time I want to, but they can't quit me."

"That's the biggest line of bull I've ever heard," Crowley scoffed.

"Yeah," I slipped my hand in his pocket, "But it was enough of a distraction."

"I will get you to quit by the end of our time together," he assured, "I can promise you that."

"How do you figure?" I opened up the living room window and lit the end. It's raining outside. I don't want to stand in the rain. Screw that, "My sleight of hand is perfect."

"Because," Crowley smirked, "I'm going to get you hooked on something even more addicting."

"Adrenaline?"

"Sure," he nodded, "Let's call it that."

"Sounds good," I approved, "When can we start?"

"As soon as we leave," Crowley decided, "And by the way, can I ask you a personal question?"

"Shoot," I allowed, "I'm an open book."

"Do you have any idea what a vegetable is?" he scolded, "When I went to clean your refrigerator last night, all that was in there was an empty bottle of coffee creamer, half a bottle of hot sauce, and a Chinese takeout box!"

"Did you throw out my Chinese food?" I worried, "That was still good yet."

"No, it wasn't!" Crowley squeaked, "And yes, I did!"

"You owe me," I grumbled, "That chow mein was still fine."

"Lena," he pointed out, "I think one of them moved."

"Ha, ha," I laughed sarcastically, "There's no way those leftovers were more than a few days old."

"Precisely!" Crowley was really starting to sound like he was trying too hard to be my mother and I needed to get a rolled-up newspaper, "My god, child. Someone needs to love you."

"Yeah," I pouted, "Because someone threw out my breakfast. Dick."

"I got you kale," he told me, "I suggest putting it to use."

"I don't understand," I finished off my cigarette, "I used to cook all the time. And I'm not too bad at it. But ever since I've moved to Baltimore, I've hardly used my stove for anything other than occasionally boiling water."

"Ever wonder why that could be?" Crowley asked.

"What?" I closed my window just enough to keep some fresh air circulating in here, "Are you going to be my shrink now?"

"No," he kept his head about him, "I'm just saying that one little thing has changed in the last almost year."

I knew exactly what he was digging at. I didn't like it, but it might be a good idea to vent. And who else is going to understand me better than him? "He called me last night…"

"Which one?" Crowley wondered, "Moose? Squirrel? One-night stand that I don't know about?"

"Dean," I keep forgetting he's got cute, little nicknames for the boys, "They're in Boston right now."

"Vamp nest," he added, "I know. I'm in their loop, too."

"I didn't know that much." Rude, "You know…Boston's only about six and a half hours from here by train…"

"So?" Crowley gave me a little nudge, "You want to go? We can decapitate vampires just as well as your brothers."

"Better than my brothers," I corrected him, "The last time we busted vamp skulls, I had a pile of bodies at my feet and they might have gotten a couple each. I still have the scar from baiting them."

"Lena…" he gave me the look. Those sad, pitiful eyes that I could feel in my soul. I wasn't quite sure how to feel about it, but it made me twitch a little, "You want to take a quick trip to Boston?"

"I don't have the thirteen hours to spare," I shot him down, "I have a show to do tonight. And rehearsals until two. And then, shows from four to eleven. And maybe a little bit of doing drinks after the show, so I might not be home until midnight. Then, to make that six-and-a-half-hour train ride? I can't fit it into my busy work schedule."

"I understand," Crowley nodded, "And somewhere, you need to fit in how to make up more excuses to prolong the inevitable in there, too."

"I figure I can do that during my break times and intermission."

"Come on, Lena," he groaned, "You know you're going to run back to them eventually."

"Just not right now," I put my foot down. Even if I wanted to, there's no way I could face the boys right now. I didn't have any explanation for what I did that would come close to palatable for them. Saying that it was because I didn't want to be their burden would go over like a lead balloon, "Besides, I have to get ready for work. Can I trust you here by yourself while I'm gone?"

"You act like I'm going to burn the place down," Crowley chuckled, "I don't bring Hell with me, Lena. It stays in Hell. I'm not even going to be here. I have some errands to run. Some things to take care of. Things to do. Places to go. People to see."

"Are you going to be back here tonight?" I asked, trying not to sound like the worried mother that Crowley has become to me.

"I don't know," he thought, "I might. I might not. We'll see how the night goes."

"Night?" I questioned his sanity, "Crowley, it's noon."

"And don't you have a real job to get to?" Crowley fired back, "Go on. Go be a star, Roxie. Make me proud."

"You know," I finished my coffee and started heading back toward my bathroom, "If we ever needed an understudy for the guy playing Billy Flynn, I'd throw your hat in the ring."

"Flattered," he called after me, "But law was never my thing. Even my vessel wasn't a lawyer, believe it or not. But for now, like I said. Things to do. If you need anything, be sure to call."

"Will do!" I turned my shower on and got a little less disgusting. All this talk about the boys being in Boston has made me feel icky. Roxie Hart wouldn't take this. Then again, she went guano and killed the douchebag she was cheating on her husband with, so maybe I shouldn't be looking up to Roxie as a role model.

Once I had all my ducks in a row at home, I headed out to practice. And as much fun as doing Chicago has been, it's freakin' exhausting. Three shows a day? And the matinee on the weekends! Day in and day out, dealing with the pushy costume department and the dirty looks from the girls in the chorus with x amount of years of classical training, dreaming to be Roxie Hart, only to be outshined by the little hood rat off the street from the tech crew. Then, there were the people wanting pictures after the show. And even when I got home, looking for a little bit of sympathy, it'd be to an empty apartment. It'd be nice if Crowley would've given me the heads up, but oh well. This gave me the chance to score some more Chinese food!

A few days of hellacious torture later, still no sign of the ever so lovable King of Hell. At first, I started to get worried, but then, I remembered it was Crowley. Son of a bitch was crafty. If he got himself into a jam, I'm sure he would've been able to take care of it. At the very least, he would've called me. Or Sam and Dean. I'm pretty sure the entirety of monsters and creatures that go bump in the night knew better that the screw with someone who says their last name is Winchester. Those boys were practically rockstars among hunters and nightmares to the bad guys.

But really and truly, would it kill Crowley to pick up a phone? He wasn't even answering my calls. Or my texts. Or my emails. I might as well be sending smoke signals to a ceiling fan. I hadn't heard from him in what I thought was an eternity. Where, oh, where could my little demon have gone? Regardless, I still had one last show to do. Closing night. FINALLY. I could kick my feet up after tonight, sleep until two o'clock tomorrow afternoon, and be gone before nightfall. Which sucks, because I really did like it here. Being in Baltimore was nice while it lasted.

"Hey, Lizzie," one of the stagehands stuck his head in my dressing room a few minutes before the final showtime, "You busy?"

"I'm ready to go," I nodded, getting out of my chair in full regalia, "Why? What's up?"

"The guy from opening night is…"

"I'll see myself in, Junior," Crowley came waltzing back into my dressing room, "She is my client after all."

"Thank you, Tim," I sent the stagehand off and shut the door, "Where the hell have you been?!"

"Out and about," Crowley kicked his feet up on my couch, "Just testing a theory."

"It's so nice of you to do this MINUTES before curtain," I scolded, "You weren't answering any of my calls! I thought you said that if I needed something to call you. That doesn't really do me any good if my calls fall on deaf ears!"

"I know," he settled me, "And I'm sorry about that. But I think you have something to do now. Am I right?"

"I hate you so much right now," I glared into where his soul used to be, "So very much."

"I love you, too," Crowley kissed the top of my head, "Now, go on, Roxie. Make me proud."

I rolled my eyes and got to my first scene. It's a good thing the guy I kill was kind of a douche anyway. I guess he got typecast. I'm not going to lie. For this being a small theatre production, we had a hell of a cast. It almost made me wonder if a deal was what brought Crowley to town. I hope Mike wasn't that stupid. He's a good guy. He doesn't deserve eternal torment.

As the show progressed, as I killed that son of a bitch that wronged me, as I went to prison and reached for the gun…As all that jazz was nothing but another memory, I felt my stomach turn while I took my final bow. Because in the back row, past the blinding lights, I saw something I truly wasn't expecting. For the sake of appearances, I kept up my fake smile and continued my bows until I could make a beeline for my dressing room to throw up profusely in my bathroom. I could say all I wanted to about the costume department, but thank God for the girl that did my hair and makeup that knows how to contour.

I could almost see my reflection in their eyes. And in that reflection, the year we found each other. The year they helped me heal. The year we fought and played together. The year we laughed, we cried, we kicked ass and took names together. The year I found my family. Only for all those memories to come spilling out of my mouth.

"Were your nerves that bad?" Crowley wondered, thumbing through a trashy gossip magazine someone left on the coffee table.

"You son of a bitch," I snarled, "How could you?"

"How could I what?" he turned the page, not even making eye contact with me.

"You know damn well what!" my tirade continued, "What the HELL were Sam and Dean doing here?"

"You saw that, did you?" the corner of Crowley's mouth twitched, "You were left undecided on whether or not you wanted to see them."

"Yeah," I felt around in my jacket pockets. Where were my damn cigarettes? If Crowley decided to take care of them, too, I'm killing him. Right here and now with zero remorse, "But not like this!"

"They have no idea who Lizzie Blackstone is, Lena," he settled me, "Don't worry. They have no clue that was you. I told them that I'd treat them to a nice night at the theatre."

"And what'd they have to say about that?" I wondered, completely aware of how Dean felt about this kind of thing.

"Well," Crowley went on, "Dean said that's what my mother said to Lincoln. Naturally, they were skeptical, but I told them there were no strings and that something about it reminded me of them. Besides, after wiping out that vamp nest, they could stand a night off. And where better than beautiful Baltimore?"

"ANYWHERE ELSE!" I squealed, "Of everywhere they could've gone, anywhere that's not Baltimore would've been amazing. But some big mouth had to lead them here."

"They wanted to go back to looking for you," he added, "But I insisted they come here instead."

"Under the radar, Crowley," my forehead met the tabletop, "Under the radar!"

"I told you what this was for," Crowley pointed out, "I said I wanted to test a theory. That theory was if you were ready or not to face Sam and Dean. Clearly, the result of that test is a resounding no. So, now I present this suggestion to you. Are you ready to leave?"

"I'm ready to be numb." There was no way I was ready for that kind of a bombshell. One close encounter in Missouri was enough, but oh no! Let's have another!

"Come on," he put his arm around me, almost like he was shielding me from the rest of the world. I think that's as close to an apology as I'm going to get, "Let's get you out of here."

And that was how the two of us snuck out of the theatre from the back and left the theatre in the rearview. I hadn't seen Sam and Dean in the flesh since Missouri. And that was months ago. It had been almost a year since the Lucifer affair and yet, I still couldn't face them. All I wanted was a sweet numbness to wash over me while I drifted off to sleep. Bright and early tomorrow morning. We'll leave then.

 **A/N: Poor Lena. She's heaving her guts out after the last show when she should be celebrating. I just want to hug her. And I think Crowley's doing just that. Now, next week, we'll be out of Baltimore. She's no longer doing her run of Chicago. She's got her money. Everything's going to be great. Besides, it's Crowley. What's he going to do to her? He absolutely adores Lena and fears Sam and Dean, so he wouldn't dare hurt her. It's getting kind of late, kids. My dog is currently sleeping. I'm getting tired. But I'm going to stay up a little while longer and do some doodles. I got to coloring with my niece yesterday and I caught the artistic bug again. So, until later then. See you next chapter! xx**


	4. Sugar Rush

It was weird, having errands to run. Usually, things were so simple. Wake up, go to work, come home, go to bed, and repeat. I've been in the same routine for the past year. It's the first bit of normal stability I've had since the orphanage fire. And I did it all by myself. But now, I'd have to pick up and find somewhere new again. Before I did that, though, I had to run some errands.

I left Crowley to take care of what little packing I had to do. As long as he doesn't burn my apartment down and it's not too stressful for him, I'm sure things will work out. First on my list of things to do was a trip to the theatre. I was looking forward to this like a trip to the gynecologist. A bittersweet kind of thing. Mike was sitting up in the sound booth, taking one of his afternoon naps. Waking him was one of those things on the do not do unless there's an emergency. I guess I could count my paycheck as an emergency. I needed to get out of town as soon as possible. And I had other things to do today.

"Mike," I nudged him, "Mike, wake up."

"I wasn't sleeping," he sat up, lying through his teeth," Hey, Lizzie. What's up?"

"I need my last paycheck," I requested, "And consider this my resignation."

"What?" Mike gasped, "Why? Where are you going? Is this because of Marley? Because she's expendable."

"No," I settled him, "I'm not having any problems with the others. I just need a change of scenery. But seriously, man. Thank you for everything."

"Even for Roxie?"

"Especially for Roxie," I hugged him, "Now, my paycheck?"

"Yeah," he woke up a little more, "It's downstairs. I'll go get it for you."

"Thanks," I followed him out of the sound booth and sat on the stage. I spent a whole year in this place. It became my second home. I'm going to miss it here.

"Hey, Lizzie," Mike held the check in his hands, "Before you leave...Can I ask you for one more favor?"

"Sure," I humored him, "What do you need?"

"Do you think..." he bit his lip, "I could get one more song? Before you leave me forever?"

"I'm sure I'll be back around one day," I rolled my eyes, "Drama queen."

"Please, Lizzie," Mike begged, "Just one."

"Fine," I caved, "Any requests?"

"Anything you want."

"Ok." Whenever I sang something for Mike, it had some kind of deeper meaning behind it or some sort of memory. This one? Not really. It was just a catchy tune, "You only get a few bars, though. I got other crap to do today."

"Fine by me."

"Alright," I cleared my throat and started singing, "There's a girl in this harbor town. And she works laying whiskey down. He'd say Brandy, fetch another round. She serves them whiskey and wine."

"Please keep going," Mike insisted, "For me?"

"Sorry, Man," I threw my bag around my shoulder, "Like I said, I'm a busy girl. I'll be out of Baltimore by tonight. Ideally, anyway. Give or take."

"Well, Lizzie," he hugged me one last time, "Wherever you end up, good luck. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too," I let him go, "This won't entirely be goodbye, Mike. You never know when I'll be back."

"Hopefully, you won't be gone too long."

Mike waved me off and I put my final paycheck in the front zipper pocket of my bag. One thing on the to-do list down. A bajillion left to go. The next stop on our before leaving Baltimore train of fun and excitement was one I wasn't overly thrilled about, but it had to be done. Sam and Dean know what I look like and no doubt, they've told some of their hunter buddies. That description had to change.

One of the women who worked on Chicago had a salon downtown and told me I was welcome any time. So, why not kill a quick hour with her? It felt weird. The last time I had this done, I took fake ID pictures shortly after. They took away my pretty, mermaid blue dye job...Dicks. Who says that someone at the bureau couldn't have blue hair? Government guidelines? Ok.

Before I knew it, my dark blonde hair turned jet black, making me look much paler than I already was. It was definitely different. That's for sure. I could hear my friend Mel bitching at me in the back of my head. Don't ever dye your hair black, Lena. It'll be impossible to dye it any time after that without intense and extensive bleaching. Don't you do it. Sorry, Mel. It had to be done. If you were on the run, too, you'd understand.

On my way back to my apartment for the last time, I grabbed an iced coffee. Dean made fun of me whenever I'd get iced coffee. He'd tell me to just get the chocolate milk like a normal person instead of the half-caff mocha macchiato with extra whip and a pump and a half of caramel syrup or something else ridiculous. He's just denying himself happiness. The caffeine boost would sorely be needed if I was going to drive through the night. When I pulled up to my building, Crowley was already giving my landlord my keys. I guess he was done with the packing.

"Alright," I pushed past him and threw myself on the couch, "We can get going now."

"Oh my," Crowley gasped, "I really do wish I would've kept you instead of giving you back to Sam and Dean. Aren't you adorable!"

"Duh," I scoffed, "I'm me."

"I would've kept the blonde personally," he shrugged, "But this is good, too."

"Maybe I'll think about bleaching it again," I mumbled into a throw pillow, "But unless the boys get another close look at me, it's staying black."

"Are you alright, Lena?" Crowley worried, "You seem a bit tired."

I felt around in my jacket pockets and tossed the little demon my keys, "Here. You're driving. I can hardly keep my eyes open."

"Your car?" he checked me over, "Are you sick?"

"Tired."

"You know," Crowley helped me back up and into the passenger seat, "I could help you with that. I could give you something that'd be like Red Bull on steroids. You'd be able to feel the pulse of the Earth and see into the matrix."

"Sounds like fun," I rested my head on his shoulder, "Give."

"Well, well," he beamed, running a knife across his skin, "I didn't think you'd be so receptible to demon blood. One would think your brothers would've beaten that idea out of your head."

"Hold on," I perked up, "Demon blood?"

"What else did you think I was going to give you?" Crowley wondered, "Trust me, Lena. It's fine."

I remember a certain book series warning me about the dangers of doing demon blood. It might have made Sam a badass for a while, but it was also slowly killing him and made him a little less human. No. Becoming a demon wasn't exactly in the cards for me. No matter how bad things got or how appealing Crowley made it look, that's not happening.

"No, thank you," I turned him down, watching the deep red liquid gush out of the palm of his hand, "I'm going to have to take a hard pass."

"Are you sure?" My god, this guy really was a demon, "Better than any vice you've ever had…It'll be great…"

"Do you want me to get in your panel van or no?" I sat up a bit better, "I'm sure. That's a no on the demon blood front."

"Alright," Crowley fired up the engine, "Well then, Lena, my dear, do you have anywhere in particular you'd care to go?"

"Anywhere else but here," I kicked my shoes off and put my feet up on the dash. It was getting pretty late and a bed sounded nice, but for right now, my passenger seat would do. I'm going to miss you, Baltimore. It's been fun. It sucks that we have to part ways, but I'll be back one day. Maybe once all this nonsense is over and I split from the boys for good, I can come back here.

"So," Crowley broke the silence, "While you were out and about this afternoon, I did a little scouting for possible hiding spots."

"That's fascinating, Crowley," I was nearly asleep already. Even though the buzzing on my thigh was making that a little difficult. Knowing that it was either Sam, Dean, or Cas, I decided to ignore it.

"You know what?" he caught my bitter, sleep deprived mood, "Why don't you get some sleep? I'll surprise you when we get there."

"Ok," I waved deliriously, "Nighty night."

"Good night."

I don't understand why, but I always slept better in a car. And this was even before I met Sam and Dean. When I was little, I napped in this car. When I stayed with "a friend" in Sioux Falls and I couldn't sleep, Uncle Bobby would take a few laps around the block and I'd be sleeping like a baby. To this day, nothing worked better than some good tunes on the radio, the window cracked, and the rumble of the engine.

A little while later, I felt us stop. What the hell…? I was liking the solitude. Some Gas 'n Sip's neon burned through my eyelids. Nope. Screw this. I grabbed my sunglasses out of my bag and killed the brightness. Must be the blue slushie stop. I wonder where we are. Only about half an hour out of Baltimore, according to the clock. So, Annapolis, maybe? Edgewood? There's no way we've hit DC already. Not quite sure the direction Crowley took. Regardless, I didn't need to be awake.

"Lena…"

"Balls…" I grumbled, "What?"

"Wake up, darling," Crowley insisted, "We're here."

"Where is here exactly?" I kept my eyes shut.

"Beltsville, Maryland," he reported, "Look out your window…"

This better be a life or death situation or we've made contact with aliens, Crowley, or so help me, I'll kill you. When I opened my eyes, I saw something better than alien contact. A bright blue Hostess sign lit up the dark night. I looked over at the demon driving my car with a big ass smile on my face, "No…"

"It's yours if you want it," Crowley allowed, "I got a bottle of double barrel whiskey and a cheap red at our last gas stop and a pack of cigarettes, too."

"Thank you," I was running low. And he said he was going to make me quit.

"And ever since you mentioned Twinkies," he admitted, "They're all I could think about. I'm sure they have some ready to ship already. Ever have one straight from the conveyor belt?"

"No," my excitement only grew.

"Well then," Crowley got my door for me, offering his hand, "Shall we?"

I know I've called demons scum before, but this was the one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me. Also, possibly the most extra. Then again, who was Crowley if he wasn't being extra? Nothing else mattered right now. Not my leaving Baltimore. Not me leaving the bunker. Not Sam and Dean on my ass. Because my inner fat kid was about to be indulged in the best way.

With his usual sense of finesse, Crowley undid the lock on the door and my heart skipped a beat. I once asked Cas about Heaven and what it was like. He told me that everyone's was different. Some may see it as an eternal Tuesday afternoon with the sun shining and the grass green. Some may see it as Woodstock on a loop. Some may see it as a little roadhouse with twenty-four happy hours a day and no hangovers. But this? If I'm still allowed through the Pearly Gates, this is what my Heaven looks like. An abandoned Hostess factory in Maryland, stocked to the brim with a good bottle of whiskey to myself.

"Crowley," I stared into the warehouse in total awe, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he scooted me along, "Go on. The whole place is yours, Lena. And I have a date with a Twinkie."

And I had a date with anything that had a high sugar content and red dye #40 in it. This brought Willy Wonka to shame. But I did have one thing burning on my mind, "Hey, Crowley!"

"Yes, Lena?" he called out from the opposite end of the warehouse.

"Can I just go to town in here without gaining any weight?" I hoped, "Is that something you can prevent?"

"Of course."

Yay! This really was all of the sin and none of the guilt. I've never been so happy. I had Twinkies. I had Ho-Hos. I had Ding Dongs. I could make an honest to god snow angel in Sno-Balls if I wanted to. In fact, that didn't sound like a half bad idea. I ripped enough boxes open to make a small mountain. And I laid in my small mountain with my bottle of whiskey between my legs, a cigarette in one hand, and a Sno-Ball in the other. Life was good. Lucifer could waltz in here right now with all the threats in the world, and I wouldn't even care.

"Enjoying yourself, are we?" Crowley teased, joining me on my Sno-Ball mountain.

"I could puke," I admitted, blowing out a cloud of smoke, "But it'd be the most diabetic coma inducing puke I will ever have in my life. This is fantastic. Hell of an idea you had, Crowley. Hell of an idea."

"It wasn't my idea," he pointed out, "That was your brainchild. I told you. Anything you want, I can make it happen."

"You know what else?" I opened another package, "They get a bad rap and I know this is going to be a controversial opinion, but I like Sno-Balls. I don't care what anyone else says. They have a place in this world."

"Really?" Crowley gasped, "I never would've expected you to be the type for Sno-Balls. I learned something new today. Look at that."

"I do like Sno-Balls," I confirmed, "I'm a sucker for coconut."

"Me, too," he agreed, "But nothing can beat a good, old-fashioned Twinkie."

"Amen, sister," I took a drink from my whiskey.

"This wine pairs quite nicely with a Twinkie," Crowley offered me the bottle, "Go on. It's not going to kill you. I won't tell your parents."

"I hardly knew my parents," I took the bottle, getting a heavy swallow from it, "It's catching your herpes. That's what I'm worried about."

"What herpes?" he chuckled a bit.

"Come on," I jabbed, "With the amount of crossroads deals you've sealed with many kisses you've made over the years, you can't tell me you never contracted something."

"Sorry to disappoint," Crowley assured, fighting a smile, "What'd you think of the wine? Pretty good, don't you think?"

"Yeah," I savored it a little more, "What kind is this? Hardly any and I feel amazing!"

"It's a…" he thought for a minute, "Let's call it a demonic vintage. It's not often I drink from my private collection anymore, let alone share."

"You never did seem like the sharing type," I babbled along, "This isn't half bad. I need more of this in my life. How much do you have in your cellar?"

"I'm not sure," Crowley took the bottle back, "We can't have you drinking too much of that and getting too sloppy."

"Aye, aye, Captain," I gave him half a salute.

Ring, ring.

"Now, excuse me. I have to take this," Crowley got his phone from his inside pocket and put it on speaker, "Moose! Long time, no see!"

"It's Sam?!" I freaked, keeping my voice down.

Crowley nodded, "So, how are you? Doing well, I hope?"

"You seem oddly chipper," Sam wondered, "Are you drunk?"

"Not entirely drunk," he assessed, "But on my way there."

"Anyway," Sam brushed him off, "You still have your feelers out on Lena?"

"I do," Crowley shot a wink at me, "So far, I've got nothing. What about you? Anything?"

"Nope," he let out a heavy sigh, "Wherever she's hiding, she's expert levels right now. And Dean's an absolute mess."

"Give him a kiss for me."

"Not helping," Sam scolded, "And speaking of not helping, sending us to see Chicago didn't help either."

"I offer a little bit of culture in you boys' lives and that's the thanks I get?" Crowley scoffed, "Honestly…Don't say I never tried."

"It's not really his thing," Sam clarified.

"Oh, well," he shrugged, "I tried."

"Look," Sam brought it back, "Let us know if you hear anything. We both love Lena to death, but if things get too rough for her, I wouldn't put it past her to make a deal. And if she does…If she even tries to and you're not the one to handle it…If you even lay a finger on her soul…"

"Yes, Sam," Crowley rolled his eyes, "I love you, too. Let's do this again over lunch."

Click.

"They really are worried about me," I assumed, "Aren't they?"

"Yep," he slipped his phone back in his pocket, "Lena, by any chance, are you warded?"

"Define warded."

"Did Sam and Dean take you to get any tattoos?" he wondered.

"No," I lifted my pants leg up to my knee, revealing a few sigils on the back of my calf, "I went to get them all by myself."

"My god," Crowley awed, "Don't we just have the hunter's cheat sheet?"

"Hey, Crowley," I jumped down from my pile of treats, "What was all in that wine? I feel like I could take down this building with a hiccup."

"Nothing special," he settled me, "I don't know about you, but I'm stuffed."

"Me, too," I agreed, "How about we grab a hotel, rest up, and hit it hard in the morning? The Hostess factory is only the beginning."

"Yes, ma'am," Crowley bowed, "Lead the way."

I let Crowley keep my car keys because there was no way I was in any shape to drive. On the ride to the crappy motel on the outskirts of town, my head started to feel weird. Not quite a headache, but not quite anything else. It felt like a bubble bath for my brain, if that made any sense. Maybe it was the whiskey, the wine, and the sugar working together. Whatever it was, it made me wickedly dizzy. And if I didn't know any better, I'd think we just passed the motel.

"Crowley, what the hell?" I wondered, "Where are we going?"

"You're so used to traveling with your brothers," he explained, "You really think I'm going to stay in a hovel like that? No, no, darling. That's not how we play here."

"So, we're staying somewhere classy?" I figured, "Cool."

He wasn't joking. This place was nice! I felt like I could touch things in here and not catch something. I've never seen this place in a porno. Crowley was treating me like a princess and I wasn't quite sure why. I knew he adored me, but this was over the top. Even for him. Regardless, I'm not going to look this gift horse in the mouth. I stumbled up the stairs and fell onto the bed. This weird headache was getting even worse.

"Alright, Bloody Mary," Crowley helped me into my bed, "Get some sleep."

"Hey," I giggled, "Hey, Crowley…"

"Yes, Lena."

"Will you tell me a bedtime story?" I requested, "Please?"

"Lena…"

"Pleeeeeease?" I drawled.

"No, Lena," he put his foot down, "Go to sleep."

"Okie dokie!" Hopefully, I can sleep off this headache. In the comfort of my temporary bed, I shut my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

 **A/N: Can we take a minute to appreciate Crowley here so far? He's been a hell of a rock for Lena since he popped up out of nowhere. Even now, he's covering for her. Even going as far as tucking her into bed. More than once now. He just…He makes me so happy in this series. He's such a mom. I'm going to stop gushing now and started editing tomorrow's update, if that's cool with you. You know, you're more than welcome to provide constructive discussion. I'll see you next chapter! xx**


	5. Like the Angel

**A/N: Because I missed it yesterday, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SPECIAL BOY THAT I LOVE SO MUCH. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAN!**

I woke up with the taste of stomach bile and pure sugar in my mouth and a railroad spike being forced between my eyes. Is this it? Is this how it ends? With the world's most wicked Twinkie, whiskey, and wine induced hangover to ever exist? This wasn't good. I couldn't stop shaking and the thought of a blanket repulsed me. I've been hungover before (and hiding it from the nuns was not easy), but I've never felt anything like this. Settle down, Lena. Settle down. Why couldn't I do that?

The hotel room had gotten too hot and I had the air conditioning as high as it would go. The indoor thermometer read fifty degrees and I was still drenched in sweat. I couldn't stand it anymore. My clothes were too constricting, so layer by layer, I peeled them off until I was in my underwear. What the hell kind of hangover was this? Even thought I was two pieces of clothing away from being totally naked, I still couldn't get comfortable. Nor could I stop shaking. At this point, I'd usually start praying, but the thought of who would listen on the other end terrified me. I might as well have a homing beacon.

"Lena, I'm back," Crowley came in with a box of donuts and a bag in his hand while I was barely on this side of seizing. Without realizing what was going on, he immediately covered his eyes, "What happened to your clothes? I was gone ten minutes!"

"Bigger fish," I shook, "What the hell is going on with me?"

"What do you mean?" he peeked through his fingers and saw me in my sorry state. He ran to my bedside and put his hand to my forehead, "Oh, Lena, sweetheart, you're burning up."

"Thank you, Crowley," I snapped, scared out of my mind, "I already knew that. When you can offer something useful, I'd love to hear it."

"Hurtful," Crowley got me a bottle of grape juice out of our little fridge and opened it for me, "Here. Drink this. You'll feel better. Not too much at once, though, or it won't stay down."

I took long, steady drinks and began to feel the knot in my stomach come undone. That was quick, "Thank you..."

"You're welcome," he wrapped a blanket around me and cradled me against his chest, "How do you feel now? Better?"

"Tons," I looked the bottle over with a hint of skepticism. Not ten seconds ago, I feel like I'm at Death's door. A few drinks of grape juice later and I'm fine? Weird.

"If you're up for it," Crowley suggested, "There's a job a few hours from here."

"A job?" I perked up. It's been a while since I did any hunting. I'm so out of practice, "Where at?"

"Philadelphia," he reported, "There's been a small faction of demons still on Team Lucifer and...Well, we can't have that, can we?"

"Honestly," I shrugged, "If they're not killing anyone, I could give a crap less whose side they're on."

"Think of it this way," Crowley flipped it around, "How long has it been since you let off a little steam, Lena? And I mean, really let off some steam?"

"I'm not nearly as angry of a person as you think I am," I finished off my grape juice and threw my shirt back on, "If you piss me off, yeah. I'll want to deck you. But I don't really have steam to let off. That's what drinking's for."

"Come on, Lena," he begged, "Rogue demons are bad for business. Please? If you won't do it for the fun of bashing a demon's brains in, will you do it for me? Your buddy, your pal, your best friend?"

"I love you, Crowley," I assured, 'But I've gone legit. I don't feel like demon bashing. And I thought you said that you and me hanging around was about nothing but fun. I don't want to be working a job."

"Fine," he let out a heavy sigh, "I guess I could call a certain dynamic duo to take care of it. Then, I'm sure they'll want to see me. So, I'll just toodle my way to Philadelphia and would you look at that? Who do I happen to have tagging along with me? Their beloved little sister that doesn't want to be a burden on her big brothers. Because she wants to prove she doesn't need them in order to stand on her own like the strong, independent woman she thinks she is."

"Alright! I get it!" I growled, "That was low, you dick."

"No one ever said demons had the moral high ground," Crowley brushed me off, "So? Does your sudden change in attitude mean you'll do it?"

"Yeah," I rolled my eyes, "I'll do it. Only because now, I have some steam to let off. And since you're a lot stronger than me, I can't put my fist in your face. Those demons are going to have to do."

"A sacrifice I'm willing to make," he beamed, "Now, go get dressed and get packed. We leave in ten minutes."

"Good enough for me."

I finished putting my pants back on and stepped out onto our balcony for a minute or two. On the plus side, I didn't feel hungover anymore. In fact, I felt amazing. Like...Last night, amazing. Like I could punch a hole in the wall and not feel anything from the recoil. Crowley was right. I guess I was going to get hooked on the adrenaline. I mean, I'm still not quitting smoking, but this would do, too.

Once I got myself together, we headed out a couple hours north to Philadelphia. Demons, huh? Nothing I've never handled before. Hell, I've been hanging out with one for the past month. I've even beat on that particular demon at one time. As much as I loved Crowley to death, I must admit. That was a little fun. At the time, I did feel bad about it, but given his last threat about calling in the boys, catharsis kicked in and I didn't feel half as bad about it anymore.

Just as we pulled into town, a melancholic saxophone solo came from my car speakers. I knew this one. This one was a jam. As we continued down the road, I started humming it. I had a list of songs that were impossible for me to not start singing along to when I'm in the right mood. This was one of them.

"On a long and lonesome highway," I sang to myself, "East of Omaha. You can listen to the engine moaning out his one note song. You can about the woman or the girl you knew the night before..."

"Really?" Crowley gave me a look, "I know you were riding around in the back of that Impala for a while, but did those two really rub off on you that much?"

"I liked Bob Segar before I met the boys," I admitted, "Sue me."

"It just caught me by surprise," he let it go. But then, I heard him humming along, too.

"Here I am," I went on, "On the road again. Here I am, up on the stage. Here I go, playing the star again. There I go…Turn the page…"

I got lost in the words of Bob Segar and didn't even realize we had already pulled into yet another ridiculously nice hotel. I don't know why Crowley was spoiling me like this, but a girl could definitely get used to it. Maybe this was payment for me taking out the demons in the middle of the afternoon. I'm guessing this is going to be an easy in, easy out job. At least I hope so. I have the energy to do it, but I lack the ambition. Oh well.

After we got settled in (a two-bedroom suite, nice balcony, nice bathroom, hot tub. Not complaining.), Crowley and I took off yet again to an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town. What is with demons and abandoned warehouses? Granted, I don't see demons hanging out at a Chuck E. Cheese, but still. At this point, it has to be a fetish.

This was not how I intended spending my afternoon, but it's something to do. Not like I had anything else going on today. Regardless, I had demon ass to kick. Four of them, by the looks of the place. They looked like some low-level demons. What the hell? This was below my paygrade. I took out Lucifer, for God's sake!

"Are you serious?" I glared over at my demon cohort, "You insult me?"

"No insults intended," Crowley assured, "I just need them taken out. Who better to ask than you?"

"Even when I first started hunting," I rolled my eyes, "I could've taken these guys out in my sleep."

"And you still can," he insisted, "But I want you to try something different than your usual fighting tactics."

"What?" I scoffed, "Now I'm doing party tricks? Come on, Crowley. I'm better than that."

"Here," Crowley gave me a flask out of his pocket, "Take a drink of this first."

"Day drinking, are we?" I opened it up and took a hit from it, "Ooh! Hell wine! Fun!"

"Now, focus," he coached me, "I want you to look at that demon right there."

Some guy sat on the edge of the loading dock, screwing around on his phone. He looked pretty harmless. Then again, he was also demon scum. And on Lucifer's side, too. This guy couldn't have been one of Crowley's. That would've been bad enough, but Lucifer? Come on, my dude. I know you're probably not much better than that, but you picked the wrong side to be on.

"What am I supposed to be looking at here?" I wondered.

"Concentrate," Crowley ordered, "Take your hand, stretch it out toward him."

"For what reason?" I did as he said, feeling like a moron, but I did it anyway.

"Because it looks cool," he shrugged, "Just trust me. Concentrate. Take a deep breath and imagine you're pulling the demon out of the vessel."

Alright. Why not give it the old college try? Lena, you didn't even graduate high school. I mean, you got your GED in your downtime, but whatever. Deep breath. Imagining that I'm pulling the demon out of the vessel. All of a sudden, a piercing headache worse than the one from this morning struck, making me lose my balance, "Crowley, I can't do that."

"Yes, you can," Crowley helped me back up, "Try it again."

"What did I even do?" I stumbled back to my feet.

"Try it again," he repeated.

"Alright," I didn't have the energy to fight him. Let's try this again. Deep breath, hand out, pull the demon out. Before I knew it, I felt a surge of power coursing through my body. The guy sitting on the loading dock started convulsing. And I could see it. I saw the black smoke coming out of his throat. If I would've let go, it probably would've snapped back like a rubber band, but that's not what we were here for. I held the cloud of black smoke in the air.

"Now, crush it," Crowley demanded as I balled my hand into a fist. And just like that, the black smoke disappeared out of existence. I don't know what happened, but that was cool as hell. Crowley threw his arms around me, squeezing me tight, "That's my girl. Very well done, Lena. Very well done."

"That was awesome!" I squeaked, "How did I do that?"

"I have a little confession to make," he admitted, "You know that wine I gave you last night?"

"Yeah?"

"It's not meant to be consumed by full blooded humans," Crowley confessed, "But since you drank it and came out on top, you seem to be the exception. I wanted to see if it gave you any added perks and by the looks of that demon, it did."

"And the vessel?" I worried, "What's going to happen to him?"

"You did more than just exorcise him," he explained, "You killed the demon inside him. I'm sure the vessel will be fine."

"And how long is this going to last?" I wondered, "Because this feels pretty bitchin'."

"As long as you want it to," Crowley cradled my face in the palm of his hand, "As long as you want it to."

"Awesome," I beamed, "Because I never want this feeling to go away."

"It does my heart good to hear you say that," he praised, "Now, you've had a long day, darling. Let's go back to the hotel, take advantage of the amenities, and hit it hard in the morning."

"What about the others?" I asked, getting into the driver's seat. If I didn't know any better, I'd think I saw someone going up to the vessel, but once I blinked, they were gone. Must be seeing things.

"We only needed to send a message," Crowley assured, "I'm sure they'll get the hint."

I fired up the engine and drove us back to the hotel. Instead of taking advantage of the amenities our five-star hotel had to offer, I was looking for something a little more down to earth than the penthouse view. Besides, I've had to practically starve myself while I was Roxie Hart and I had the world's worst craving for a cheeseburger. With bacon. And A1. My brother would be so proud. Well…One of them anyway.

I took a seat at the counter and ordered my big ass cheeseburger and a milkshake to match. Bye, bye, diet. I wish I could say it was nice knowing you, but honestly, it sucked and you can kiss my ass. When I took my first bite, I had to grit my teeth and grab a hold of the counter. Mother of god…It was the most beautiful thing I've ever tasted. I come all the way to Philadelphia and I order a burger. Hot damn, they know how to treat their meat.

"Hello, Lena…"

 **A/N: Because I'm a dick and have a problem with cliffhangers. This chapter is taking a very interesting turn. And it's going to take an even more interesting turn next week. Just you wait, friends. Who could be standing behind our dear friend Lena? It could be a few people, but…well, you'll find out soon enough. But Crowley's been an awful sweetheart for the most part. I had to give him a little bit of a dick move in this. Honestly, it's the most Crowley thing Crowley's done all story long. Other than the skulking around Lena's dressing room, but beside the point. See you next chapter! xx**


	6. The Devil in Disguise

**A/N: Hi, guys! Before we get started here, this is a continuation of last week's chapter. If you haven't read that yet, you need to. Or if you want to reread it as a refresher course, that's cool, too. But another thing about this chapter, in case you haven't picked up on the chapter titles yet, they're all song titles in one way or another. But this one is special. Because not only is it a song title, it's also the title of my favorite fic on the entire internet. The Devil in Disguise is a Destiel AU fic and it's just…Oh, it's delightful. It is smut, though, in case that's not your cup of tea. Dean's a mechanic, Cas is a priest that just moved to town. Dean in confession. It's just…ajiofdewafaeiow…It's on Tumblr somewhere. If not, there's a link to it on my Tumblr. 5/5 Would recommend. Would read again. Want it in a hard cover copy on my dresser.**

 **Um…Ms. Olivier…Your dresser's in your closet. Wouldn't it be more appropriate to say on your nightstand?**

 **Shut up, hypothetical assistant. Always putting things in perspective…Go on. Enjoy the resolution of the cliffhanger I left you with last week.**

Finding out if my burger tasted the same coming back up as what it did going down was not in the plans for tonight. But that voice. It brought a lot of emotions up that I had been suppressing for the past year and completely caught me off guard. In those two little words, all of the walls that I thought were super reinforced came crumbling down as I buried my face in his trench coat and bawled my eyes out, "Hi, Cas…"

"Mind if I sit?" he asked.

"No," I shook my head, regaining my composure, "Go ahead."

"Thank you," Cas took the open seat next to me, "How are you?"

"Really?" I took a long, heavy drink from my tea. Not as sweet as I thought it would be. Then again, we are in Philadelphia, not the South. I grabbed half a dozen sweetener packets out of the holder. We both know you're not here to exchange pleasantries, Cas. What do you want?"

"What are you doing here?" he worried.

"Not to brag or anything," I ripped open each pink envelope one by one and poured the delightful chemicals into my tea, "But I took out a few demons today. What did you do to improve the world?"

"That's not what I mean," Cas clarified, glaring a little, "How long have you been running around with Crowley?"

"I don't know," I shrugged, "Maybe a month or so?"

"By yourself?" All of a sudden, Cas turned into the overprotective dad I never had, "Lena, I know he's helped us in the past, but you are aware that Crowley can't be trusted, I hope."

"Relax," I rolled my eyes, "I'm fine. Besides, even though it's Crowley, he wouldn't dare hurt me. This I know for a fact."

"Are you sure?" Seriously, Cas was pissed. Actually, genuinely pissed, "He's a demon, Lena. Boldface lying is in their nature. And Crowley's always had a very silver tongue."

"Don't worry, Cas," I assured, "We can trust him. Crowley's not lying to me. I'm fine."

"I hate to do this to you," Cas took my hand, immediately jerking away, "Lena, those weren't rogue demons. They were planted."

"What do you mean?" I started getting nervous.

"They were more or less target practice," he broke the news, "Crowley ordered them to come to Earth and cause mischief. Enough to make you interested, but not enough for Sam and Dean to get involved."

"No way," I shook him off, "They were on Lucifer's side and it was only a matter of time before they'd come after me."

"Did you find them, Lena?" Cas tightened his grip, "Did you personally find those demons?"

"Well," I bit my lip, "When I woke up, Crowley said there was a job if I wanted it. I haven't been actively hunting since I left. But that doesn't matter, does it? So what if I'm not the one that found us the case? What matters is that those demons are gone."

"You're a very smart girl, Lena," he hardly spoke above a whisper, "Doesn't that strike you as a little too convenient?"

I hated how much Cas was making sense. Crowley has been a tad slippery in the past, but he'd never do that kind of thing to me…Would he? No. This was just Cas trying to get in my head to make me come back to the bunker. And I sure as hell wasn't going to do that any time soon, "And? So?"

"Why?" Cas let out a heavy, exasperated sigh, "Why is it that all of the Winchesters I've ever dealt with have to be so stubborn?"

"I don't know," I played with the straw in my drink.

"It's not only the demons," he cradled my cheek in the palm of his hand, "There's something very different about you, Lena."

"It's the hair color," I figured, twisting a lock of it around my finger, "It's never been black before. I'm kind of liking it. I didn't think I would, but here we are."

"No," Cas shook his head, "It's not that."

"Think about it, Cas," I pointed out, "You haven't seen me in a year. Something about me is bound to change."

"Not your physical appearance," he studied me a little closer, "Your spiritual one. There's a very dark mark on your soul."

"That's probably from me hanging around with a demon," I guessed.

"I've only seen this once before," Cas twitched, "Lena, how are you feeling right now?"

"Like a million bucks," I reported, "Why?"

"What have you done?" Cas' eyes nearly doubled in size. That's not going to make me nervous at all. What was with him today? Cas was more restless than he usually was. He seriously needed to unclench.

"Well," I thought back, "Crowley and I got wasted in a hostess factory last night, if that's what you're talking about."

"And what were you drinking?"

"Whiskey and wine."

"Lena," Cas took in a deep breath, "You're infected."

"With…?" I hadn't been with anyone. Did I end up catching something from a toilet seat? I always thought the bathrooms in the theatre looked a little sketchy, but never disease ridden.

"The last time I saw this," he cringed, "It was in Sam. You have demon blood in your system."

"What?" I ran a quick assessment of my physical being. A little sweaty. Kind of tired. A bit light headed. Almost the same I felt this morning, but more of the beginning stages of this morning.

"Weren't you ever taught not to take candy from demons?" Cas put the back of his hand to my forehead, feeling for a fever.

"I think it's taking candy from strangers, sweetie," I corrected him, getting the feeling he might have been right.

"You're already running a slight fever," he diagnosed, "We need to get you somewhere safe, so you can detox."

"You mean somewhere like the bunker?" I assumed, getting his hands off me.

"Lena, please," Cas begged, "We can help you. Right now, we have more important things to worry about than why you left. Please come with me."

"Don't you get it, though?" I snapped, "This is the exact reason why I left. Because you and the boys don't think I can make it on my own and I couldn't stand the pity anymore."

"And look where it's gotten you," he fired back, "You're full of demon blood, Lena!"

"You're right," I sighed out, "I drank Crowley's Kool-Aid. And you know what? I like it."

"Do you realize what demon blood does to you?"

"Yeah," I kicked my feet up on the barstool next to me, "It gives me kickass superpowers. Those demons I took care of today? I didn't even lay a finger on them and all it cost me was a little nosebleed."

"It chips away at your soul until you have no humanity left. It's eternal damnation in a liquid. It will burn up your life force, Lena!"

"And who decided my humanity was so great?" my voice broke, "I was doing perfectly fine before any of the supernatural came into my life. I had a job, a mediocre apartment, a life. I got away from Sam and Dean and it's almost as if my life got better. I don't need them and they don't need me. Besides, this power trip thing is really nice."

"Lena…"

"I appreciate the sentiment, Cas," I threw some money on the counter and jumped down from my stool, "But I'm good. Really. If I become some sort of monster because of this, then so be it. This is too much fun and I don't want to give it up any time soon. So, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go to bed and kick ass again tomorrow morning."

"Lena," Cas grabbed my arm, "Please…Don't do this."

"If you want to do me a huge favor," I kept my eyes on the floor, "Don't tell Sam and Dean where I am. Or that you even saw me. You know how much it would piss Dean off that you saw me without him or that you found me and didn't take him directly to me."

When I walked out of the diner, I felt like such a bitch for using Dean against Cas like that, but it had to be done. I knew he'd turn around and grab the boys. There's no way I'd be able to say no to them. I hope Cas had a different plan. Granted, Sam and Dean were some of the best hunters to ever exist, but when someone's as warded as I am, I'm shocked Cas could find me. He must have some contacts in Philadelphia (or Crowley opened his big mouth again) that let him know where I was. Regardless, I had to have some words with my favorite little demon…

"Your ass better not be sleeping, you son of a bitch," I threw the hotel room door open.

"I was," Crowley groaned, "Until someone came in and ruined it. What the hell, Lena?"

"You and I need to have a little chat," I kicked my boots off.

"What has your panties in a knot?" he rubbed his eyes, still half asleep.

"You do!" I snarled, "Last night, when we were in the Hostess factory."

"What about it?"

"The wine you gave me," I assumed, "What all was in it?"

"What do you mean?" Crowley looked at me like I was on drugs.

"I mean, you demon roofied me, you dick!"

"Oh," he dropped the cockiness real quick.

"Yeah, oh!" my tirade went on, "What the hell, Crowley? Why would you give me demon blood AFTER I SPECIFICALLY TOLD YOU NO?"

"I needed to settle my curiosity," Crowley brushed me off, "I didn't expect you to take to it like a duck to water, though. I don't understand why you're so mad at me."

"Because you could've asked me first!" I was ready to drive him through the wall, but that might also be the withdrawal talking.

And he couldn't help but take notice of that, "Lena…? Are you feeling ok?"

"No!" I started feeling the same way I did this morning, "I think it's wearing off…"

"Thought so."

After a little bit of soul searching and a lot of intestinal fortitude, I broke my glare with the devil I know, "Give."

"Excuse me?" Crowley perked up.

"I'm tired of feeling weak," I looked up, "Make me strong again."

"Are you sure?" Crowley grabbed a knife out of my bag.

"Are you going to juice me up with demon blood or no?" I snapped.

"It'd be my pleasure," he said with a deadly grin, "Always happy to bleed for a Winchester."

 **A/N: Because SOMEONE read ahead before I even wrote it, yes! Lena's hopped up on demon blood. Crowley spiked her wine and she's all full of it. Also, Cas found her! Yes, she's warded all to hell, but demons in the area will pique certain interested parties. Angels being one of them. And with Crowley and Lena disappearing at the same time, I'm sure Cas was hoping one would lead him to the other. I'd also like to point out that ending line that kind of gave me chills. We've heard that exact line once before. And I'm loving the parallel! It brings me a twisted sense of joy. Kind of like when I drop a random cliffhanger at the end of a chapter. Anyway, see you next chapter! xx**


	7. Turn the Page

**A/N: Thank you, friend, for giving me the heads up this was code for whatever ungodly reason. What the hell, FP? First I can't get my reviews. Now this. *sigh***

Never fails. Any time I get too attached to a place, I always have to leave. Every single time, it's because of Sam, Dean, or Cas. When I was in Missouri? They found me. When I had a semblance of a life in Baltimore? They found me (even though that was more Crowley's fault). When I was on a hunt in Philadelphia? Cas found me. One day. One day, it'll be nice to have a little bit of stability. Until then, I had a beautiful car and the King of Hell as my co-pilot. Come on, Chuck. Can't you cut me a little slack here?

"Well, Lena," Crowley twitched around in the passenger seat, "Off on another exciting adventure then?"

"Yep," I held my face in my hands, "Another day. Another town. Another close call with the boys. Repeat tomorrow."

"What's this?" he gave me a little pop to the jaw, "Why such a long face? You should be alright. I just tapped a vein for you."

"I know," I could feel it surging through my body. A warm and tingling sensation pumped in my veins, "And that may be the only thing keeping me from driving us in a ditch."

"Come on, Lena," Crowley attempted to comfort me, "Talk to me. What's wrong? What has you so manic depressive?"

"Nope," I shot him down, "I know you mean well, but there is no way in hell I'm getting touchy-feely."

After my talk with Cas, I don't think my heart could take it. Besides, I reached my quota for wearing my heart on my sleeve for a while. We can save the melodrama for the boys. For now, I just wanted to get out of Pennsylvania without having any sort of breakdown. I could do that much, right? With all this demon blood giving me an internal hug, everything was possible.

"I have an idea."

"I'll mark it on the calendar," I rolled my eyes, nowhere near being in the mood for Crowley shenanigans today.

"Can I finish?" he shot me a glare.

"Sorry."

"I'll blame it on the blood," Crowley let it slide, "But since you're just a bundle of joy today, you could stand some cheering up."

"What makes you so sure I need cheering up?" I asked, "Are you trying to say I'm being bitchy?"

"Not trying," he clarified, "Succeeding. Demon blood can do that, though. But you're so salty that if I were to touch you right now, it'd burn like hell."

"Pun intended?" I bit the inside of my cheek.

"No." But it was enough to get a cheap smile out of the devil I knew, "But I'm glad it was made now. What would you say about blowing off some steam in the bayous of Louisiana? I could call some crossroads demons for you to smack around. There are quite a few there. That's always fun."

"No," I sighed out, "As much fun as kicking demon ass is with my new powers, I'm not in the mood."

"Alright..." Crowley thought on it for a minute or two, "I got a better idea!"

"Spit it out, Crowley," I groaned, "I'm driving around aimlessly here."

"Since we're on the east coast," he suggested, "Let's go to Disney World!"

"No, thank you," I turned him down, "Long lines, screaming children, Florida. I can already feel the ulcer forming and the hepatitis coming on."

"Only you can suck the fun out of Disney World, Lena," Crowley pouted as I crossed the border into Ohio, "Where are we going then, if not Florida?"

"I know exactly where I need to go," I felt something stronger in my gut than that ulcer and laser focused on the road.

"Lena..." Crowley worried, "Are you alright? Is this something we need to talk about? You're not dragging me into a Thelma and Louise situation into one of the Great Lakes, are you?"

"Tempting," I admitted, "But no. I like you too much to do that. Besides, it'd get too messy. No one would be alive to tell Sam and Dean to stop looking for me."

"I'm sure Chuck would get that message to them," he figured, "Even if I made it out alive, Sam and Dean would assume I had something to do with your death. The last thing I want is the Winchester boys on my ass when their own are involved."

"Don't I know it," I mumbled under my breath, my eyelids growing a little too heavy for my liking, "Hey, Crowley, I think I'm starting to lose my buzz. You think you could be a sacrificial lamb and hook a sister up here? I've done withdrawal once. I'd rather not do it while I'm driving."

"We really need to get you a new demon to bleed dry," he whined, "Or...I like that idea better."

"What?" I guessed, "Filling IV bags instead, so I can suck them down like Capri-Sun at my convenience?"

"It's scary when you're in my head," Crowley nodded, "It's better than you having to ask me."

"And a lot less unsanitary," I approved. Hopefully, he's smart enough to not hold that over my head and keep my blood from me. That was a little bit of an oversight on his part.

"The next time we pull over," he promised, "I'll take care of you. But in all seriousness, where are we going?"

"Sioux Falls."

"Really?" Crowley wondered, questioning my sanity, "Why?"

"I need somewhere to clear my head," I told him, "There's nowhere in this world that centers me like a place in Sioux Falls."

"Bobby's house, isn't it?" he assumed, "Or what's left of it anyway."

On this little back road in the middle of Nowhere, Ohio, with no one else around, I slammed on the brakes and pulled a dagger out of my boot, "Don't."

"What did I do?" Crowley freaked.

"Just. Don't," I gave him the biggest dirty look.

"That's right," he remembered, "That house burned down, didn't it?"

"Crowley," I snapped, slamming on the gas pedal, "What did I just say?"

"Alright, alright," Crowley braced himself, "Just slow down…Please. Whatever it was I did, I'm sorry and I won't do it again. Just please slow down!"

I took my foot off the gas pedal and let her coast for a while, keeping my voice down, "What did you do?"

"Do I not speak Bobby Singer's name in vein or something?"

"Think about it, dumbass," I growled, "Think about how I came to be. What's happened to me TWICE in my life? And who is the one person that means more to me than anything else in the world?"

"House fires are a sensitive issue with you," Crowley settled me, "I understand. I see that's something we'll avoid like the plague from now on."

"Thank you."

The car was running low on gas, I was getting tired, and my belly was a bit grumbly. Besides, a cigarette didn't sound like a half bad idea either. I turned off on the exit and hit a gas station. As the nicotine rush washed over me, I started to even out again. For his penance, I made Crowley go get me another pack and a new lighter and an energy drink. And a cherry pie. Like I said. Grumbly.

"Menthols?" I asked as he came back out with the bags in hand.

"You don't smoke menthols," Crowley froze, "Right?"

"I was testing you," I smirked, "I had a friend of mine that only smoked menthols when he had a sore throat. Said it worked like a charm."

"Should I worry about the company you keep?" he got back in the car.

"No, Dad," I rolled my eyes, "Your little girl isn't surrounded by bad influences."

"Other than me."

"Other than you," I could pretend to hate Crowley all I wanted to. Deep down, I had a soft spot for him. Everyone does eventually whether they want to admit it or not. And I'm definitely not saying this because his blood is hitting the spot right now.

"Hold on," he thought, "Did you just call me Dad, Lena?"

"With irony, yes," I nodded, "Don't read too much into it."

"Do you see me as a father figure?" Crowley jabbed, "Because honestly, I'm flattered."

"Shut up, Crowley," I got back in the driver's seat.

"I'm not sure what to do with this information," he awed, "I mean, I wasn't even this good of a father to my own son, but you could be my second chance."

"Forget I said anything."

"No, no, no," Crowley grinned, "It's you and Daddy for the next fourteen hours."

"I will push you out of the car if you ever refer to yourself as Daddy again."

"Is that any way to be talking to me, young lady?"

"Crowley…"

"Lena…"

"Crowley…" I'm ready to stab him. I can stab him, drain his blood, and walk away. No one would know.

"Fourteen hours," he reminded me, "Fourteen hours of this. Between the blood and the caffeine, you're not sleeping any time soon."

"I could just not talk." Or I could push him out of the car.

"I can find other ways of toying with you." Crowley was really trying to push my buttons today, wasn't he?

"Like any other loving father would do?" I rolled my eyes.

"Aren't you just like every other bratty teenager since the dawn of time…"

I wasn't going to argue with him. I didn't have that kind of energy. The blood hadn't kicked in yet. Instead, I'd just turn the radio up and completely space out. The best way of healing. I wasn't going to have Crowley's shenanigans. Although, once in a while, I'd catch him whispering something in my head that I could hardly make out, but I could only guess it was something suggestive. Or more insistence that he was Dad now. Not happening. I've only called one person Dad for its intended purpose and it sure as hell wasn't Crowley.

After driving through the night and a part of the next day, we finally made it to Sioux Falls city limits without me running my dagger through Crowley. Good for me! I made sure to keep my head down, though. I didn't want to get caught by local cops. They'd take me to the sheriff and I DEFINITELY didn't need that. Jody would tell Sam and Dean and we're trying to avoid that, Lena. It's not like I was going to be in town long. Just enough to get my head on straight again.

"Hey, Lena," Crowley chirped up, "I had an idea."

"We're a little far from Disney World," I pointed out, pulling into the scrapyard. Just as gut wrenching as last time.

"No," he opened up his wrist and put it to my mouth. Bless him, "I was thinking while we're here, we could clean up the scrapyard."

"What do you mean?" I wiped my mouth off and killed the engine. Then, the most surreal feeling set in. The last time this car was here, she was a rusted mess. You definitely had a glow-up, baby. We both did.

"You can do so much more with your powers than exorcise a few demons," Crowley explained, "Do you see that truck over there?"

He pointed toward a beat up old Ford that had to be an early sixties model coated in rust and sadness hiding in the weeds. I remember that truck. Another one of those projects Uncle Bobby wanted to do, but never had the time or the energy to do. He was too busy saving the world from what I've come to understand. No worries, "Yeah. What about it?"

"I want you to focus all of your energy on that truck," he coached me, "And lift it. Then, if you can, throw it aside."

"Are you high?" I scoffed, "There's no way I could lift something like that. I mean, I know I have some serious power here, but lifting a truck seems a bit farfetched."

"You're selling yourself short," Crowley insisted, "Go on. Make Daddy proud."

"What have I said about that?" I cringed.

"And now, you're angry with me," he applauded, "Good. Use that. You want to throw that truck at me, don't you?"

"God, yes," I didn't even hesitate. With my power focused in my hands, I lifted the truck with the greatest of ease and whipped it at Crowley. Wait a second…Did I just lift a truck like it was nothing? I'm not sure how I did it, but I did it, "That just happened, didn't it?"

"That's my girl!" Crowley squealed, "Do it again. Go on, Lena. Clean up the scrapyard. Take out anything you want. Stack everything up just to knock it down. The world is your oyster."

I had to admit. Throwing that truck did feel pretty good. I picked up another car and flung it across the scrapyard. Uncle Bobby always told me to be careful when I played back here. I don't think he ever anticipated me playing like this back here. Stay away from the broken glass, Lena. Little did he know, I was adding to the broken glass. This was fun! Although, my fun didn't last long. All of a sudden, I got really lightheaded and nearly passed out.

"Crowley," I fell to the ground, "What the hell just happened?"

"You're exhausted," he opened the scab on his arm and gave me my fix, "The blood is strong, but you're still human. You need to rest for a while. You did very well, Lena. I'm proud of you. We can find a hotel for the night."

"It's the middle of the afternoon," I attempted to catch my breath.

"And you need some sleep," Crowley helped me back to my feet, "Give me your keys."

"Ok," I couldn't fight him. My energy reserves had been one hundred percent depleted. Although, I knew one place that could help me out. And I still had one of my fake IDs that Dean made for me. Looks like I was going to be Annie Wilson again.

I left Crowley in our hotel room and headed to the bar down the street. I could've stayed and drank at the one in the lobby, but I needed some familiarity. The holes in the wall were my happy place. Those were the places that felt like home. When I walked in, this bar was dead. Perfect. I wanted to be left alone anyway.

"What can I get for you, sweetheart?" the bartender asked.

"I'm not your sweetheart."

"Ok," he backed off, "What are you drinking?"

"Whiskey, if you don't mind," I took some cash out of my pocket and threw it on the bar, "Keep them coming."

"Yes, ma'am."

And so began my evening. I had my whiskey and the bar to myself. I'm not complaining. Although, a sudden wave of melancholy washed over me as a familiar tune started playing on the jukebox. My life story in a Bob Segar song. What is it with Bob Segar finding me so much lately? Weird. Turn the Page always hit me weird. And tonight would be no different. However, it hit me differently than it ever had before.

If it would've been Night Moves, I would've been in tears, but instead of crying, I harbored a heavy feeling in my heart. As much I don't need them, I missed my boys. I wonder where they are right now. After my third glass of whiskey, I spun my phone around on the bar. Dare I do it? Am I that level of buzzed where I still have my head, but I also have a little bit of bravery? Hell, I broke down talking with Cas. God only knows what this phone call will do to me. What the hell? Let's do it.

Ring…

Ring…

Ring…

"Who is this?" a deep voice rumbled, shaking me to my very core, "You should not have this number."

Hold yourself together, Lena. I know it's been a while since you've tried talking to either one of them, but you can do this. That's what the whiskey was for. I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to force back any tears trying to make their way up. The lump in my throat was suffocating and my hands struggled to hold my phone up.

"Hello…?"

The tiniest sob escaped my throat. Don't you dare start now. You've come too far. I threw back the rest of my whiskey and ordered another, "Hi, Dean."

"Lena?" he gasped, not quite sure what to make of the situation.

"Yeah," my voice broke. Not happening, Lena. I cleared my throat, "It's me."

"Where are you?" Dean didn't even want to exchange pleasantries. We're skipping the foreplay here. Ok. Understandable.

"At the bar," I wasn't lying to him. Just avoiding certain truths to keep myself safe, "Dean…I'm so sorry."

"And I'm pissed!" he snapped, "Where the hell are you?"

"I'm on a job right now." That job might be honing certain new abilities that Crowley was kind enough to give me, but that's beside the point, "And I got thinking about you and Sam."

"I promise you, kid," Dean growled, "Next time I see you, I'm throttling you. You know that, don't you?"

"I wouldn't expect anything less."

"As much as I want to kick your ass," his voice softened, "Damn, it's good to hear from you. In almost two years, would it have killed you to have picked up the phone?"

"It killed me every time I picked up the phone," I admitted.

"Lena," Dean begged, "Please. Come home. When you're done with whatever job you're on right now, come back to the bunker. We'll be here waiting for you."

"To cold clock me with your .22?" I joked, trying to make light of the situation.

"Yeah," he chuckled a little, "We do miss you, Lena. And we've never stopped looking. Sammy and me…We need you back."

"Come on," I tried to cheer him up, "You guys are Sam and Dean Winchester. When it comes to hunting, you're rockstars. You're what monsters check under their beds for. You don't need an amateur like me holding you guys back."

"You don't ever hold us back," Dean assured, "You hold us together. There's a big difference."

That was a blow I didn't need tonight. I downed the whiskey in my glass like it was nothing, "I have to go, Dean."

"Lena, wait…"

But I couldn't bear to keep going. I knew they never stopped looking. Cas told me. I don't hold them back, but I hold them together, huh? For the rest of the night, I knew one thing for absolute certain. I'm getting wasted. The bartender kept them coming just as I asked him. Although, whiskey mixed with mascara infused tears was an odd taste.

"So," Crowley joined me, ordering a top shelf scotch, "Who was that on the phone?"

Someone I hurt. Someone I loved. Someone I didn't deserve. Someone that, despite how much I've hurt him, still loved me. Someone that had the audacity to say he still needed me. Someone that I never thought I'd ever hurt a day in my life. Someone that told me he'd do anything to protect me, yet I've turned around and started hitting something worse than the bottle of whiskey I've probably gone through.

"Wrong number."

 **A/N: I hate when I end up with a heavy chapter that wasn't intended to be heavy, but it's a punch to the gut regardless. This was supposed to just be some goofy, lighthearted fun with Lena and Crowley and Crowley being a pain in the ass, but then…I need a hug. Unfortunately, my whole house is asleep, including my dog (that's taken a liking to sleeping on my devil's trap rug. Should I be worried?), so I shall send virtual hugs to all of you, friends. Hopefully, I can bring some lightness soon. See you next chapter! xx**


	8. Caught Up in You

**A/N: Hi friends! Slight trigger warning. There's a part in this chapter where it gets pretty graphic. But I promise it's not for long. Hang in there. By the way, I'm going to run something by you at the end if it's cool with you. You'll see. Read this first. Then, we can talk, k?**

The dirt roads around Sioux Falls were like a weird hug for me. One would think my idea of home was the bar in Hartford or the bunker or even my old apartment in Baltimore. But none of those places had my heart like the back roads that got me to sleep like nothing else. Just Uncle Bobby and me when I was younger with Charlie Daniels and Johnny Cash serenading me to sleep. After the night I've had, I could use a good dose of home. Just to help me fall asleep. And Crowley knew better than to question it.

The orphanage? Huh. My dreams have taken me to some weird places before, but this was a first. I never thought they'd ever take me here. It's weird seeing it in one piece and not a pile of ash. My bed was still the same. Uncomfortable as hell. Too small for my liking. Looks like I'm the only one here. If this is supposed to have some sort of weird ass deep meaning, it's lost on me. You'll have to try harder than that, Chuck. No, that's not a challenge.

Assorted voices chattered in the other room. Must be the nuns. I poked my head in, eavesdropping on the conversation. Sue me. I'm curious. When this place still stood, their usual topic of conversation was what to do about me. Either when I get too old to be here or whatever shenanigans I had gotten into that day to allegedly get their attention I so desperately craved. Why should that change?

"Sister Catherine," one of them began, "I'm worried about Lena. She's getting into more than she can handle. I'm worried she won't come out of this alive."

Typical. Just another person to write me off. They all underestimate me. Wait patiently, sister. You'll see what I can do. Then, they'll stop writing me off. They'll learn to respect me. Maybe even fear me. But I'm not a monster. Or maybe I am. I do hang around with monsters these days. I guess I'll see where this dream takes me.

"I understand your concerns," Sister Catherine empathized, "There's something dark on her soul. Darker than anything we've ever seen."

"We have to have a way to save her!" she freaked. Little did she know, I wasn't in need of saving. At this point, I could save my self with the power I had. I could've killed him for giving me the demon blood in the first place, but in hindsight, thanks, Crowley! This surge of power wasn't a curse like they say it is. It's a blessing.

"You needn't worry, my children," Mother Superior walked in, her commanding presence unable to miss, "I've called some of the best exorcists to ever walk this Earth. They'll be able to help us."

Exorcists? I mean, I knew Mother Superior had some hookups, but I didn't know she had those kinds of hookups. I wonder how much these guys were the real deal. Because I seem to remember a certain little demon playing pretend as a priest once. It wouldn't shock me if that's exactly who Mother Superior's exorcist was. A sudden knock at the door made me jump. Looks like that exorcist is here. Fun. Time to show off.

"Afternoon, Mother Superior," a familiar voice rumbled. Uh-oh.

"Thanks for calling." Oh crap.

"Forgive me, Mother," Sister Catherine stopped her, "But are these boys really the exorcists you spoke with? They don't look like priests."

"Trust me, Sister Catherine," she assured, "These boys come from a long line of exorcists. Their father saved us all once upon a time. I trust them with my life. Now, I'm trusting them with Lena's everlasting soul. Gentlemen, she's in here."

Nope. No, she wasn't. I slipped out the back the same way I did when I'd sneak off to the bar. Those exorcists were much more than just exorcists. They're hunters. And not just run of the mill hunters. From what I understand, the last name Winchester is not only recognized in the hunting community, but synonymous with the word badass.

Alright. Now, what, Lena? You're hiding in this hepatitis laden alley. The Impala's parked outside, the boys are in town, and you're up a creek. What to do, what to do. When I turned around, I managed to get back inside the orphanage with the boys standing in the doorway. Dammit…I started pouring sweat out of every pore on my body. I didn't need this today.

"Hi there," Dean had a dirty grin on his face, "Shall we get started?"

"Look, boys," I backed up, "I'm not possessed."

"Which is what someone possessed would say," Sam pointed out, whipping me in the face with holy water.

"Owie!" I cringed, feeling the burn on my skin. That was new, "What the hell, Sam?"

"Not possessed, huh?" Dean glared, "I'll hold her down."

"Excuse me?" my radars went up as he grabbed my wrists and pulled me into his lap, "What are you idiots doing? I'm not possessed!"

"Exorcizamus te," Sam began, burning my insides.

"Ouch!" I squeaked, "Sam, stop!"

"Omnis immundus spiritus…"

"Sam!" I writhed under Dean's grasp, "Quit!"

He hesitated for a minute, debating whether to go on or not. I could see it in his eyes that this was breaking him, "Onmis satanica potestas…"

"I said, stop!" I screeched. Then, I didn't feel anything. The demon blood in my body kicked into overdrive and I let out a blast of pure energy. Kind of like what I used to wipe out the demons in the warehouse. Both Sam and Dean went flying into the walls, putting dents in the drywall, while I got up and brushed myself off, "It's cute you two thought that was going to work. I told you. I'm not possessed."

"Lena," Dean's voice broke, "What's wrong with you?"

"Absolutely nothing," I grinned, "I can kick more ass than you guys and I think that scares the hell out of you."

"How are you doing it?" Sam asked, just as broken up about it as his brother.

"Come on, Sammy," I held him against the wall with one hand while keeping Dean at bay with the other, "You, of all people, should know how I'm doing this. You've been on demon blood before. Only you were dumb enough to give it up. Why would you do something so silly?"

"This isn't you," Dean growled through strained breathing, "You're above this, Lena. You know what this is doing to you."

"Yeah," I squeezed a little tighter, "It's making me powerful. Heaven forbid I have this."

"You know why I gave it up?" Sam choked out, "Why I stopped drinking demon blood?"

"Why's that?" I sat down and kicked my feet up, "I'm sure it's a riveting tale."

"Because," he explained, "I didn't need it. I didn't need the demon blood to be powerful. Because I already was."

"Please," I rolled my eyes, "Spare me the Disney telling of a Brothers Grimm tale. I already know all the gory details. You liked it, Sam. I know you did. Something tells me us getting blood drunk together would be fun. You miss it, too, don't you?"

"Sam, no," Dean begged, "Don't do it!"

"Come on, Sammy," I pulled a pouch out of my jacket pocket, "Fresh from a crossroads demon. You want a hit, don't you?"

"No," Sam turned me down, "And neither do you."

"You're funny," I popped the top on the IV bag, "Cheers."

After a good, long slurp from the tube, I tore the boys limb from limb. I felt their bones crush in my hands and their skin rip apart under my fingertips and my nails digging into their flesh. I watched as the life drained out of their eyes. This power felt like too much, but I only wanted more. I was past the point of no return and I didn't care. I didn't want to go back.

But then, I woke up in an absolute cold sweat. What the hell was that all about, Lena? You don't hate the boys that badly, do you? Sure, they've done some things that you once found questionable, but in the end, you realized they only did them because they love you and care about you. You don't want them dead…Right? Of course not. And they were only trying to help.

Not only was this a cold sweat, though, but I could feel withdrawal setting in again. Bring yourself down, Lena. You'll be fine. All I need is a little more and I'll be ok. Where the hell was Crowley? I got out of bed and searched the hotel room for the shifty, flighty son of a bitch. Dammit. Of course. When I need him most, he takes off. Where would he be in Sioux Falls? He didn't have any contacts here. Unless big mouth did something stupid again and call the boys. Which would suck something awful. That dream felt way too premonition-y. Water maybe? Maybe that'll make me feel better.

I got up and went to the fridge, hoping to God there was a bottle or two of water waiting for me. I could trust Crowley to do my grocery shopping (without me even knowing about it. He bought kale…Kale is a lie.). Fingers crossed…When I opened the fridge, I didn't just find the water. I found something even better. An IV bag with a note on it.

 _Just in case it gets bad while I'm gone._

 _xoxo_

 _-C_

Bless you, Crowley. I pulled the tab out of the bottom and took long, steady sips from the bag. Fantastic. I started to even out again. Just what I needed. Once I was good again, one question flashed in my mind. Where in the hell did Crowley go? Apparently, he was far enough away to give me a little blood supply. I grabbed my phone and dialed a series of sixes.

Ring…

Ring…

Ring…

"Hello, darling," Crowley answered, "What can I do for you?"

"Where are you?" I wondered, taking a look out the window. Morning already?

"I had a few dealings to see to," he said, "Did you find my present?"

"Drinking your present as we speak," I told him, "How long are you going to be?"

"A little while," Crowley winced, "I'm sorry. I'll try to make it quick. Anxious to get out of town already?"

"What can I say?" I shrugged, "I'm stir crazy."

"I shouldn't be much longer," he assured, "Are you alright, sweetheart? You sound off."

"Bad dream," I shook it off, "I'll be fine."

"Alright," Crowley let me go, "Soon. An hour. Maybe two, tops. Can you hang in there that long?"

"I guess," I fake pouted.

"Come now," he saw through me, "Smile, my dear. It's not forever."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Despite the dream, Crowley actually made me feel better. And that son of a bitch managed to coax a smile out of me, "Alright. I'll be waiting. Don't take your sweet time, ok?"

"I won't."

Click.

It's amazing how impeccable his timing can be…

 **A/N: Sorry to cut this one short, but it's getting late and I have children to put to bed soon. Also, if you caught the reference at the end, you're cool and we're not best friends. Now, getting back to that thing I told you about in the beginning…If I were to do something silly like start a YouTube channel with my spastic brand of fangirling, would any of you come hang out and watch it? Because I've had people suggest that to me and I'm not quite sure if I want to do it yet. I don't know. We'll see. It's just something to think about. See you next chapter! xx**


	9. If You Want Blood

This was just what I needed. A little walk to clear my head. Besides, the demon blood was finally kicking in. I felt fantastic and not like killing a man, so I guess we can count that as a win. Where were we again? All of these days blur together. Sioux Falls! That's right. Home sweet home. Why the hell would I want to come here? Isn't that a bit neon sign for you, Lena? It's not like the boys know I'm here anyway, but still.

And I didn't want them dead. That was just a bad dream. I love my brothers dearly. Even though there's a bit of a rift between us right now (and when I talked to Dean, I think he could've killed me on the spot), but I still didn't want them dead. Everything's going to be fine. Although, I am curious if an exorcism would work on me. I'm not possessed. Technically speaking anyway. Just juiced up on demon blood. I'll have to ask Crowley about that when he gets back from whatever his other dealings were. I thought he was above crossroad deals these days. Doesn't he hire that kind of thing out?

After being away for so long, I forgot how much I loved aimlessly wandering the streets of Sioux Falls. It truly is centering. This was my happy place. As long as I don't get caught by local law enforcement, I'll be golden. Not that any of their cells could hold me. Not the way I am now. I could punch a hole through a brick wall like it was nothing. A few of the bigger cops at the Sioux Falls police department wouldn't be able to do squat.

"Excuse me!" a voice from the corner boomed. A very familiar voice that was attached to a man in a dark suit. One that put an instant knot in my stomach. As my gut reaction, I bolted in the opposite direction. Nope! Not today! Dammit! What the hell are they doing here?

 _Thud!_

"Hey, now…" I hit a solid wall of giant man that I knew damn well was his partner, "We just wanted to ask you a few questions."

"Let me go!" I writhed in his warm, comforting arms. In the name of self-preservation, I've also developed a British accent (Don't look at me like that. It's fun making fun of Crowley behind his back.). Under any other circumstances, I'd love to be wrapped up in my brother's arms. I was fighting back tears all I could. Given that it's currently against my will and the wound of my dream is still fresh, this wasn't nearly as pleasant.

"Why'd you run on us?" Dean asked, looking me over. He had that look in his eye. The one I didn't need him having. He's seen me somewhere, but he couldn't place me.

"Wouldn't you if you were me?" I shook Sam off me, "A cute girl like me walking by herself? Especially when she's being chased by a couple of middle aged men? Nothing about this looks good for you, mate."

"Sorry," Sam flipped his fake FBI badge on me, "But it's a matter of national security."

Doesn't look like they realize who I am. This sounds promising, "Alright. What do you need to know?"

"We're looking for a girl," Dean took over, pulling a picture up on his phone, "Dark hair, green eyes. She was last seen with a guy older than her."

As of right now, that sounded a lot like me. Although, the girl in the picture wasn't me for a change. Awesome, "No. Sorry. I haven't. Why are they so important that you two had to rough up an innocent girl?"

"They're both very dangerous," Sam pulled out a card, "If you hear anything out of the ordinary, please give us a call."

"Sure." In a million years. I turned around and took off for the hotel. Even though those two were in town, color me intrigued. I wanted in on whatever monster brought them here.

Later in the day as I twiddled my thumbs in bed with a bag of blood in my mouth, I was giving consideration to a nap. But I knew damn well I wouldn't be able to sleep. I opened up my laptop and checked local newspapers online for anything out of the ordinary. Everything was checking out. Not even a missing persons report. This must be one of those things that the bureau wanted to sweep under the rug.

"Honey, I'm home," Crowley came in while I was buried in research, "They weren't joking when they said your generation was constantly glued to a screen, were they?"

"I'm sorry," I rolled my eyes, shutting my laptop, "Hi, pookie. I missed you. How was your day?"

"Never call me pookie again," he cringed. Success, "But same old, same old. Playing informant gets exhausting. What about you? Tell me you got out and about today."

"I did," I nodded, "Ran into my brothers."

"Did you?" Crowley froze, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," I brushed him off, "I'm fine. Any idea what would bring them to town?"

"There's a few vampires getting restless," he filled me in, "They've kidnapped one of the local girls and they're using her as a feeding bag."

"Kind of like me with you?" I teased.

"In a more extreme sense," Crowley grumbled, "I'm looking for another demon to fill that position."

"It won't be the same," I pouted, "Blood from a low level demon or blood from the King of Hell…Decisions, decisions."

"It'll be enough for you to keep out of withdrawals," he argued, "Anyway, why do you care about some vamp feeding bag?"

"She's still an innocent girl," I winced, "Sue me if I'm being empathetic here."

"So," Crowley wondered, "Are we working this case?"

"I'm going to need a legal guardian to enroll me," I pointed out, "Besides, I could kick vamp ass like a machine when I wasn't hopped up on demon blood. Imagine what I can do now!"

"Enroll you where?"

"This girl can't be much older than me," I figured, staring at the picture on my computer screen, "If she's being held against her will as a food source for some rowdy vamps, I guarantee you they want her to continue her normal day to day life. I'll need you to fill out some paperwork."

"Hold on," Crowley had a sadistic, little smirk on his face, "Does this mean I have to pose as your father?"

"Legal guardian," I reiterated, "Don't let it go to your head."

"Don't take that tone of voice with me, young lady," he scolded, "Now, do you have any more blood pouches or do you want Daddy to bleed for you again?"

Crowley wasn't going to let up about him being my temporary dad, was he? Might as well play into it. Keeping him happy means keeping him in my pocket. And there's nothing wrong with having that chess piece on the board. I laid my head on his shoulder and gave him some serious puppy eyes, "I'm all out. Please, Daddy? Will you bleed for me?"

"Absolutely, sweetheart," he kissed my forehead, "I need to get more bags."

"Just use the empty ones," I suggested.

"But that's so unsanitary," Crowley cringed, "It's only a quick trip to the hospital, dear. I won't be long."

"Ok," I sighed out, "I guess I'll be waiting. I could go get my enrollment papers."

"Why don't you stay here?" he insisted, "I can get it while I'm out. If Sam and Dean are here, I'm sure you're a secondhand look while they're taking care of this. You need to be careful."

"Ok," I pouted, "What am I supposed to do then?"

"Just stay here," Crowley lifted my chin up, "Ok?"

"Ok," I smiled, "I'll be waiting."

Almost in thin air, Crowley disappeared and headed to the hospital. I had a demon bleeding for me. I have a bunch of vampires to kick the crap out of. It's going to be a good day! The only suck part is that I have to go back to school, but it's only a temporary thing. I can go there, screw around, and save an innocent girl that doesn't deserve to be vampire food. Save an innocent, kick ass. Life is good. And somehow, Sam and Dean still haven't found me! Awesome!

"Well," Crowley popped back in, "You have school in the morning. I have enough blood for you to last about a couple days, if you ration it."

"I have to ration it?" I whined, "Fine."

"You'll be fine," he assured, "You wouldn't want actual people food, would you?"

"I ordered room service earlier," I told him, "I'm good."

"What did you have?"

"Macaroni and cheese."

"I guess I can't complain," Crowley groaned, "But you should eat a little better. You can't just live on demon blood forever."

"It's worked for me so far."

"Lena," he really was letting this whole dad thing go to his head. Crowley sat at the edge of my bed, holding my hand, "Please. Take better care of yourself. And get some sleep. How about a little more blood fresh from the tap before you go to bed?"

"Ok," I wasn't going to turn that down. I watched as he ran a blade down the palm of his hand. Mmm…It's warm to my belly. Like having a cup of tea before I fall asleep. It even made me a little tired. Weird. Usually, it's a power trip, but this was nice, too.

"That's my girl," Crowley settled me, taking his hand away, "That should help with your nightmares, too. Now, go to sleep, ok?"

"Ok," I curled into my bed and shut my eyes.

The next morning, I woke up to Crowley looking at cat videos on my computer. He could be looking for the girl. Instead, he's more concerned about the kitty chasing the laser. Unbelievable. I hardly pulled myself out of bed and threw my ass in the shower. Hot water. Hot water will make me feel a little less like crap. I wonder if demon blood would work like coffee. Because I needed something to wake my ass up. I got school in an hour and I'm not looking forward to it.

"Good morning, sweetheart," Crowley greeted me when I came out of the bathroom, "Care for some breakfast?"

"What kind of breakfast?" Like I had to ask.

"Your favorite," he gave me a full bag of blood. Yum…

"Fantastic!" I popped the seal on it and drank it down, "I'll be done at three."

"What?" Crowley gave me a look, "I can't bring you to school?"

"I'm a big girl," I promised, "I think I can get myself to school."

"It's your first day," he whined, "Let me see you off."

Was he going to be this big of a pain in my ass? This wasn't going away. Might as well. I grabbed my bag (making sure my lunch and my smokes were in it) and headed to Sioux Falls High School. Joy. I could smell the mediocrity from a mile away. Remember, Lena. You have a mission. Find the girl and become best friends. Crowley and I pulled up to the front entrance and watched as all the others went inside.

"Alright," Crowley gave me my schedule and my student ID, "Your name from here on out as far as they're concerned is Charlotte MacLoud."

"I'm Irish?"

"Scottish," he corrected me, "Now, Charlotte, go in there and make Daddy proud. I'll see you after school."

"Sniff around town," I ordered, "See if you can find the nest. And if at all possible, avoid the boys please."

"I'll try," Crowley kissed the top of my head, "I love you, princess. Go make some friends."

Yep. Taking this all the way to the bank, "I love you, too, Daddy."

I got out of my car and all eyes on were on me. Of course they were. The new kid was always under a microscope. Well…Here goes nothing.

 **A/N: I'm so sorry this is up so late. Writing's been kind of hard for me lately. I don't understand why, but it has been. But is it weird that I'm kind of loving the whole idea of Crowley becoming Lena's surrogate father figure? It's strangely cute. He worries about her and he even gave her his last name. I think that's cute as hell. And to make things even more difficult, THE BOYS ARE IN TOWN! You can't tell me that won't complicate things. Or maybe it really won't. We'll see next week, won't we? And now, I'm going to go to sleep. My head hurts, my tum hurts, and I need to go sleepy. Good night. See you next chapter! xx**


	10. Little Red Corvette

Coming from someone who has actually been to Hell, I could say this with absolute confidence. High school was Hell. I have my GED. I don't need to be here. Undercover work wasn't always the ritzy galas I liked. At those, I could nab a drink and no one would question it. Here? Here was nothing but social hierarchy coupled with cutthroat classrooms. This sucks! Why couldn't I have just gone with Crowley as a detective? I bet that twisted son of a bitch was getting a laugh out of this. Granted, it was my idea, but I wasn't expecting him to roll with it!

"Hello!" I was greeted at the door by an overly uppity blonde in a short skirt and a cardigan. Gee, I wonder who you could be in the grand scheme here. My money was on student body president.

"Hi," I gripped my backpack strap a little tighter. She stares. This girl stared into my soul with a big ass grin on her face, "Can I help you?"

"I'm Rachael," she beamed, "You're the new girl, right?"

"Yeah," I took a healthy step away from her.

"As student body president…" Hey! I was right! I'm so shocked, "I'd like to be the first to welcome you to Sioux Falls High School. I'm sorry, but I never caught your name."

"It's…" Dammit! What did Crowley say it was again? I know it's not Lena. Not in this town anyway, "Charlotte MacLoud."

"It's so nice to meet you!" Rachael gushed, "Where are you from, Charlotte?"

"I just moved from Baltimore with my dad," I know that Crowley and I were in Philadelphia last, but we reconnected in Baltimore, "And please. Call me Charlie. I hate when people call me Charlotte."

"Charlotte sounds so pretty, though," she awed, "Ok. So, Charlie, what's your first class?"

"Um," I took my folded up schedule out of my pocket, "English."

"I'll walk you there!" Alright. I had visions of me stabbing this chick by the end of the day. I either needed a cigarette or a hit of Crowley's blood. And I hadn't even gotten through first period. Oh well. I'm not going to blow this girl off completely. I'm not that big of a dick. Maybe she'll know something about the missing girl.

Once we got to my English class, a feeling of sweet relief crashed over me. Not quite as good as the blood I'm about to drink, but I was a fan of anything that got her to stop speaking. I swore I knew her life story by now. Regardless, I slapped on a fake smile, "Well, thank you, Rachael. I'll see you around."

"You know what?" Rachael squeaked, "You should come find me around lunch. What kind of friend would I be if I let you sit by yourself?"

"You don't have to…"

"It's not up for debate!" she decided, a horrifying grin stretching across her face, "I'll see you then!"

Yikes. How devastated is she going to be when I leave? I met her ten minutes ago and she's already calling us friends? If she even utters the words slumber party, I'm shooting her. I can throw her to the vamps in town before I make heads roll. And she's a hugger. Nope. Abort mission. I don't like this. As soon as Rachael skipped off to whatever country club she came from, I hid in the back of my English class and took a pouch of blood out of my bag. Crowley was smart to put this round in squeezable applesauce pouches for occasions like this.

"A little much, isn't she?" a dark-haired boy sat next to me while I set my body at ease.

"Excuse me?" I popped the spout out of my mouth.

"Rachael," he clarified, "I saw you two standing outside and she tends to prey on new students."

"Oh," I went back to my new favorite vice, "Yeah. You could say that again."

"I'm sorry," he empathized, "I'm Seth, by the way."

"Charlie," I introduced my fake self. Actually, I knew a girl named Charlie once. She was part of a big brother, big sister program with the nuns and their network. Charlie was the only one I meshed with. I loved her, though. She's the one that taught me how to get around the blocks the nuns had on the Wi-Fi.

"Welcome to Sioux Falls, Charlie," Seth gave me a little smile. Ok. He's cute. I'm in. I'm keeping your number, "Next time Rachael is driving you nuts, come find me."

"She invited me to her lunch table," I cringed, "I'd rather get a sandpaper enema on a summer day."

"Tell you what," he offered, "Meet me outside the art room at lunch and I'll make sure you don't have to deal with that."

"Bless you." Alright. This part wasn't too bad. Seth seemed nice and I had a feeling I'd be able to bum a little more than a cigarette off him at lunch. Then again, he seemed too good to be true, too. Only one way to find out, "Christo."

"What?" he turned his head. I don't think I could count that as a flinch.

"Nothing," I brushed him off. He's safe, "Never mind."

"I'll see you at lunch," he shot me a wink, making my heartrate spike. I needed another blood pouch. Something to even me out. A warm feeling filled me inside. Damn, Crowley. I love you. It might not have tasted like applesauce, but it felt like a hug in liquid form.

"Excuse me, Miss MacLoud," the teacher scolded me, "There's no eating in my classroom. Unless you have enough for everyone, you'll have to throw your applesauce away."

"I'm hypoglycemic," I excused myself. Also, there was no way in Hell I was sharing my demon blood with anyone. One of me was enough. An entire classroom sounded way too messy, "If I don't have this, I'll die."

"I don't have anything saying you're hypoglycemic." This bitch was looking to get punched today.

"I think I would know better than a post-it note," I kept slurping on my blood bag while a chorus of excitable high school students hummed around me.

The teacher didn't know what to think of me. But something tells me she hated me already. And I might have caught her off guard, "It's your first day, Miss MacLoud, so I'll let that slide, but know that tomorrow, I won't put up with that kind of insolence."

"Okie dokie," I gave her a half hearted salute, "Do you want me to have a doctor's note about my hypoglycemia tomorrow, too?"

"It should already be on file."

"Dude," I kicked my feet up on the empty desk in front of me, "I just moved yesterday. I still have boxes that haven't shown up at my new house yet. I'm sorry that when my dad did my enrollment paperwork, he didn't put my doctor's note on file."

"Enough, Charlotte."

"It's Charlie."

"Not another word," my English teacher glared a hole through me. Yep. Safe to say she hates me. Maybe that's how I can keep this interesting. My goal here is to find the vamp food and get all of my teachers to hate me. Sounds like fun. But I'm not letting her get off the hook so easily. Unfortunately for her, I had a little extra energy to burn off. Under my desk, I held my hand out, focusing my energy into my fingertips. I didn't want to maim this poor woman and I did have a pretty good handle on my powers. How about a teeny bladder mishap?

As I kept my blood in my mouth and my bitch English teacher went along with the lesson, she froze in mid-sentence. What could have possibly caused such a thing? Perhaps it was the one girl in glass you really shouldn't piss off riding out her demon blood high. The dark spot soaking through her skirt was giving me a warm sense of justice. Is this what they mean when they say to use powers for good? Is this how Robin Hood felt? Because coupled with my feeling of justice was one of pettiness and smug. And I'm loving it.

"Excuse me, class," she swallowed her pride, "I need to step out for a minute."

Once that door was shut, everyone was on the floor, breaking into raucous laughter. Because watching a teacher piss herself is going to be funny. Justice well served, I think. Her drenched khaki skirt gave me such a sweet sense of satisfaction and all I could say here was that karma is definitely a bitch. Probably should've believed me when I lied about my hypoglycemia. We wouldn't be in this situation if you would have.

The bell rang a little while later and I was off to my next classes. Math was a pain in the ass, but I killed with history, so I had that going for me. Then, dreaded lunchtime came. I had no doubt in my mind that Rachael had memorized my schedule already. No, thank you. She was sweet with eyes like a baby deer. Something tells me she doesn't handle rejection. Instead, I searched the school for the art room.

"Charlie!" But before I could find him, Seth found me.

"Hey," I smiled, "Just the guy I was looking for."

"Hi," he smiled back, making me melt inside. I don't know if I like this or not, "Ready to go?"

"Yeah," I nodded, "Let's get going."

"Before Rachael finds you," Seth teased, "Come on. My car's in the east lot."

"What are you driving?" I wondered. If my brothers and my uncle have instilled anything in my brain, it's an appreciation for anything with a motor.

"Classic," he beamed, "It's a '74 Corvette. Had to work my ass off for it, but worth it."

"What color?" I held my breath.

"Red."

Swoon…I bit the inside of my cheek, "Not bad. Not as cool as mine, but it'll do."

"Really?" Seth gave me a look, "And what are you driving around in?"

"My dad has my car," I grumbled, "But usually, it's a '65 Mustang in blue. Fully restored. Shines like a new penny."

"Nice," he gave me a high five, leading me outside, "I hope I get to see it one day."

"You think that's nice," I bit my lip, "I have a couple of older brothers that drive around in a '67 Chevy."

"I just saw one of them on the way to school this morning," Seth pointed out, "An Impala sitting outside some motel."

"Which motel?" So I know which one to avoid.

"The Sunset Inn, I think," he told me, "Want to swing by and take a look?"

"No, thanks," I shook my head, "I'll have to pass."

"Charlotte…" a familiar voice called out, "Come, darling. We need to talk."

"Who's that?" Seth asked, catching sight of my gentleman caller.

"That's my dad," I kept a level head, "I'm sorry. I think I need to take a raincheck on lunch. Tomorrow?"

"Sure," he allowed, "That's fine. I'll see you later."

"Bye," I waved him off and made a beeline for my "dad".

"Who's that?" Crowley jabbed, "Is my little girl experiencing her first taste of romance?"

"I just met him, dumbass," I rolled my eyes, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Checking in," he got the car door for me, "How are you?"

"Super," I snatched the keys from him.

"And?" Crowley asked, "What have you heard? Anything?"

"Have you?"

"I asked you first."

"No," I wanted to punch him, but I'd probably send him flying right now and I don't want to draw attention to myself, "This girl was a complete unknown."

"Someone no one would think to miss," Crowley thought, "Smart on their part. Personally, I would've taken it a step further and got an orphan, but that's just me."

"That was low," I kept my eyes on the road, "You really don't think before you speak, do you?"

"Oh," he bit his tongue, "That's you, isn't it? Look at that! I was smart and got myself an orphan."

"Crowley," I sighed out, "You really need to develop a better filter."

"How about a bit of good news then?" Crowley switched tangents, "I found one of the vampires calling Sioux Falls their home lately."

"Excellent," I praised, "What'd you find out?"

"The girl's name is Christina Chapman," he filled me in, "That's all I know."

"And what'd you do with the mole?" I wondered.

"I killed him and threw his body in the river."

"Crowley, you idiot," I groaned, "We could've kept him for more information or even bait! Juice him up full of dead man's blood to keep him sedated!"

"You have become a regular sociopath, haven't you?" he awed, "My little girl is growing up. I'm so proud."

"You refer to me as your little girl one more time and I will start severing limbs."

"Oh, Lena," Crowley kept on, "Are you needing a little something special? Are you hungry?"

"I'd kill a man for tacos," I admitted, "But you're not talking about that, are you?"

"Nope."

"Yeah," I nodded, "It's always best when it's fresh from the source."

"You are keeping it for yourself, right?" he hoped, running a blade over his skin.

"Of course," I put my lips on his wrist, enjoying the warmth through my body, "Like I'm sharing."

"That's my girl," Crowley approved, "You know, I saw the boys today."

"Did you?" Just what I wanted to hear about while I'm getting looped up on demon blood. It's like having someone calling out my dad's name during sex. Way to kill the mood.

"They're coming up short, if it makes you feel any better."

"No need for that, Crowley," I wiped my mouth off, "Are you really getting me lunch or just tapping a vein for me?"

"I'll actually get you lunch," Crowley promised, "What kind of father would I be if I didn't take care of my little girl?"

 **A/N: I love how Crowley pushes her buttons. It tickles me in the weirdest way. Now, I know this seems like I'm cutting it off, but…Well…That's exactly what I'm doing. This chapter is plenty long enough and it's getting late. So, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go over here and do a thing. Actually, I'm going to go to bed here in a bit. But I have to take my pup outside first. And because I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow, I have to finish tomorrow's update, too. So, I'll see you next chapter! xx (Also…Happy birthday, Jensen. :3)**


	11. Killer Queen

Since he found me in Baltimore, I couldn't keep track of how many times I've wanted to punch Crowley right in his face. However, since he just shoved food down my throat and put another applesauce pouch in my bag for me, I will save my punches for another day. What can I say? I'm a simple girl. I can run on chicken nuggets and demon blood and be perfectly content. Although, once he drops me back off at school again, I wouldn't mind burning him alive and watching his skin peel off his bones.

"Alright, sweetheart," Crowley took my keys from me, "I'll be waiting for you after school right out front. Do you think you can make it until then?"

"Could you not?" I grumbled under my breath, "I still have to deal with these people today and probably tomorrow, too. Dial it back."

"What?" he switched back to his usual tone, "Can't I have a little fun, too?"

"Not at my expense," I stipulated, "I have to go back to class. Can you behave yourself until then?"

"No promises." There he was. There's the Crowley I know and love.

"I'll see you later," I started walking back toward the building.

"I love you, Charlotte!" he called after me. And there's the dick I knew and mildly tolerated, "Make Daddy proud!"

Repeatedly, I stabbed the voodoo doll of Crowley I made in my mind. So much for me having a decent reputation here. I didn't need to be pegged as Daddy's little girl. Never have been. Never will be. And I didn't need that kind of attention. But I was definitely kicking Crowley's ass in the parking lot after school. That was a damn promise.

For my first class of the afternoon, I had art. Why the hell would Crowley have picked arty for me? Did he see some potential in me that I didn't? No matter. I always heard art could be therapeutic. Maybe it'll get me to mellow out. Along with a quick hit of Crowley's special brand of applesauce. I popped the top of one of the pouches and downed it in one heavy gulp. Not exactly as good as warm and fresh from the tap, but for now, it'll do.

"You know," a familiar voice spoke behind me, "We really need to stop running into each other like this, Charlie."

"Hey," I smiled, offering Seth the empty seat next to me, "Look, Seth…"

"You remembered my name!" he awed.

"And you cut me off," I scolded him.

"Sorry," Seth covered himself, "Go on."

"About earlier," I continued, "Right now, my dad's kind of controlling everything and he's… 

"A dick?" he teased.

"Yeah," I giggled, "If that wasn't the nail on the head. I get where he's coming from, though."

"I wouldn't have guessed that was your dad, though," Seth gave me a sketchbook, "You must look like your mom."

"Actually," I bit the inside of my cheek. Those were Uncle Bobby's words coming out of Seth's mouth. I could damn near hear them in his voice.

"Oh," he stopped himself, "Is your mom a no-go subject? I'm sorry. God, I am sucking today. Can you forget you met me and we start over tomorrow?"

"Nope," I shook my head, "My mind is a steel trap. I forget nothing."

"Well, damn," Seth grabbed his sketchbook out of his back, "My first impression sucked, though. Let me try again."

"If it helps you sleep at night," I went into my own bag and got another applesauce, "We've never met in this class before."

"You make a valid point," he agreed, "In that case…Hi. I'm Seth. I'm a Scorpio. I play in a band on the weekends. And I'd love to get to know you a little more."

"Alright," I let him have that one, "Your first impression was better this time around."

"What about you?" Seth asked, "Aren't you going to redo yours?"

"Fair enough," I had to think on my feet, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Seth. I'm Charlotte. People call me Charlie. I'm an Aries, I think. On the weekends, I don't do anything, but I used to jam with a band in a town about twenty minutes from here."

"Really?" he perked up, "What'd you play?"

"I didn't play an instrument," I admitted, "I sang lead vocals."

"Nice," Seth applauded, "Maybe you could come hang out with my band and me sometime."

"Maybe." If I lasted in town that long. Absentmindedly, I doodled on the blank first page of that sketchbook I had handed to me, taking the occasional sip from my applesauce pouch. Every swallow felt like a bathtub for my insides.

"You know," he watched over my shoulder, "You're not bad. Did you take art classes at your old school, too?"

"No," I kept working on a little tree growing up from the bottom of the page, "I've never taken any art classes."

"A natural talent, then?" Seth applauded, "I'm jealous. Be careful, though. You're not the only natural talent in this class."

"What?" I took his sketchbook from him, thumbing through the pages, "Are you one, too?"

"No," he clarified, nodding toward a girl with long, dark hair sitting by herself in the corner. She looked familiar, yet I knew I've never met her a day in my life, "She is, though. That's Christina. I'd actually be careful around her these days."

"Why?" Found you.

"She used to draw My Little Pony characters, fairies, elves," Seth told me, "I mean, this girl practically radiated sunshine and rainbows. But lately, she's just by herself. A lot of her drawings have caught the attention of the school counselor. Rumor has it, she's gotten herself into some sort of cult thing with devil worship or some crap like that. But that's just how it works around here. People get bored. They make up stories."

Or she's become a TV dinner for a group of vampires. Which one is more likely? Ok, the cult thing. But for those of us that know better, teenage girls have some weird fantasies and a lot of vampires are preying on that kind of thing these days. It's a mixture of how they hunt and how they get their kicks. Thanks, Twilight. Not that Seth wasn't a sweetheart, but I needed to make a new friend.

"I bet I can get through to her," I figured, "Hold on."

"I hope she doesn't cast some kind of hex on you," he jabbed.

"I'm protected," I pulled my aegerine out of my shirt and walked over to her, "Hi."

"Hello," Christina spoke meekly. She looked exhausted.

"I'm Charlie," I introduced myself, "Can we talk?"

"Sure."

I wasn't going to get too much out of this chick, was I? Come on, Lena. You're a charismatic individual. Hell, you never paid for a drink when you were still living in Hartford. And how did you pay for those drinks? With a cute smile and a flash of leg. But something tells me that's not going to work on her. I looked down at her sketchbook where she had doodled a reaper with a poisoned apple in its hand.

"Your drawings are really cool," I praised, "Can I see some more?"

"Yeah," she slid her sketchbook toward me and I could see her decent into madness play out in her drawings. The first few pages looked like a Care Bear's wet dream, but as they went on, the Care Bears started going through a phase. And then, they did turn into occult symbols. Demons, devils, dragons, fire, brimstone. From what I remembered, Hell looked nothing like this.

"You know," I suggested, suppressing the bile in the back of my throat, "You should come over to my house after school. I'd love to pick your brain."

All of a sudden, Christina got really skittish, "I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because," she was trying to think of an excuse. I could see it in her eyes, "Daddy wouldn't like it. I have to help take care of my family."

"Ok," I let her go, "I understand. My dad can be kind of a hardass, too."

"Thank you."

He's got her calling him Daddy, too? That's Crowley levels of creepy. Such a shame. This girl seemed really sweet. And by the way Seth was talking about her, she was before she had vamps treating her like their fridge. I took Christina's sketchbook and doodled a few little flowers and wrote down my number.

"If you need anything," I took her hand, "I just gave you my number. Don't hesitate to call me."

"But I just met you..." Christina grew skeptical, "Why are you being so nice to me?"

"I guess I'm just a nice person," I gave her a smile, "It's a curse."

The bell rang and she hurried her books back in her bag, "It was nice meeting you, Charlie."

"You, too," I let her run off to her next class and I regrouped with Seth, "See? No hexes. No curses. Perfectly fine."

"I've never seen Christina so social before," Seth gasped, "How'd you do it?"

"Simple psychology," I told him, "A girl is more likely to open up to another girl. Why do you think slumber parties are a thing?"

"I'm still kind of worried about her," he admitted, "I've practically grown up with her. We were in the same grade, the same classes. Ever since third grade. I tried talking to her, but she'd just push me away. And now, you're doing that thing to me! You're the witch, aren't you?"

"I'm not casting any hexes either," I rolled my eyes, "No witchcraft is being performed here."

"How do you know?" Seth asked, "How do you know for sure?"

"You're a dork," I gave him a shove, "That's how I know."

"Certifiable from what I understand," he shrugged, "But who knows?"

I liked him. Seth was ok in my book. If I wasn't trying to avoid them like the plague, I'd introduce him to the boys. I could only imagine how hellish that would be for him. Sam and Dean would probably put him through the wringer. The whole intentions with me talk and all the cliche crap John Hughes wrote about. But for now, I had bigger fish to fry than hypotheticals. Once the final bell rang, I started heading to the front of the school. Unfortunatetly, I couldn't be left alone. Why? I'm a...relatively good person. I don't deserve this. Who did I piss off in a past life to get Rachael dropped in my lap again?

"Charlie!" she chimed, probably late for either a student council meeting or her horseback riding lesson.

"Hi, Rachael," I grumbled, getting that stabbing in my mind feeling again. Why won't she leave me alone.

"Where were you at lunch today?" Rachael asked, "We missed you."

"We?"

"Everyone," she pouted, "We were waiting for you. And I couldn't find you anywhere."

"I left campus," I kept my cool, "I went to lunch with my dad."

"Someone said they saw you with Seth Lincoln," Rachael spat his name out like bad sushi, "What would you be doing with him?"

"We have English and art together," I told her, "We were talking and then, my dad got me. End of story."

"Do you like him?" she wondered, getting in my face.

"He's alright," I backed away from her.

"You should stay away from him," Rachael warned, "He's so weird. And he plays in a band."

"So?"

"So?" she repeated, "So, he probably has no plans for the future except for music and there's no way that's going to work out."

"Not necessarily," I defended, "Have you ever heard him play?"

"Have you?"

"Fair," I settled her, "But you're selling him a little short, don't you think?"

"Musicians are so dirty, though," she cringed.

"Rachael," I shut her up, "I'm a musician. I used to hang around a band all the time and I played with them on a semi-regular basis. Clearly, you haven't met many of us."

"Charlotte!" Saved by the King of Hell, "Come now, darling! We need to go."

"There's my ride," I smirked, "Hopefully, we can do lunch tomorow."

God, I hated people like her. So quick to judge without even getting to know someone. What a bitch. Just because we don't live in her ivory towers and play in her country clubs doesn't make us any less of a person. I left her to her devices and started heading back for my car. Without a second thought, I snatched the keys out of Crowley's hand and pulled away from the school.

"So?" he asked, "How was your day?"

"Nope," I shot him down, "We're not doing this today, Crowley. We're not faking the loving family crap."

"Are you trying to say we're not the loving family?" Crowley awed, "Lena, I'm hurt."

"But you don't have feelings."

"Yes, I do," he assured, "Now, what do you know?"

"I met Christina today," I beamed, "She's definitely the one. Real lethargic, hardly talked, drew demons."

"Any of mine?"

"No," I rolled my eyes, "But I made a new friend. And right now, that's all that matters."

"What could you get out of her?" Crowley wondered.

"Not very much," I pouted, "But that's what tomorrow's for. We'll rest up, regroup, and kick ass again in the morning."

"You should have that on your business cards," he teased, "But while we have a little bit of downtime…"

"No," I knew what he was going to say. I could feel it deep in my bones, "Not doing it."

"I was going to suggest ice cream," he covered his ass, "But if you feel that strongly about it."

"Bull," I saw through him, "You were going to tell me to see the boys, weren't you?"

"They do miss you, Lena," Crowley took my hand, "It won't kill you to let them know you're alive."

"Do they know I'm with you?"

"No."

"Good," I drove back to the hotel, "Let's keep it that way."

 **A/N: My hands burn like hell, guys. I've been busting my ass for the past three hours to get this done and I'm so sorry it's up so late. But to hit the main bullet points here. Crowley's a little shit. Lena's done with him. Seth is a doll. And Christina's going to be Lena's new best friend. Things are about to start taking turns and I'm so damn tired…See you next chapter! xx**


	12. Wherever You Will Go

"Lena..." a soft, gentle voice hummed in my ear, "Wake up. You have to go to school today."

"Ow," I groaned as a fire burned in the back of my throat. The soothing tone of his voice could only get me do far. My shaking started shortly after along with a widest pain spreading through my body. Without any resistance, the floodgates holding back my tears burst and a flood of biblical proportions came out. I was in pain, dammit! Demon blood withdrawal sucked something awful, "Ow!"

"I know, darling," Crowley offered me some comfort, cradling me in his arms, "I know. You're hurting, aren't you? It's alright. I'm about to make it all better. No more shakes. No more fever. You're going to be ok. I'm going to make this all go away."

I greedily took his gushing wrist and started drinking like there was no tomorrow. With every heavy swallow, my shakes began to ease and the pain subsided a little. Nothing more blood and a couple aspirin wouldn't cure. I detached myself before I drank Crowley dry and caught my breath, "Thank you. I'd rather regular Hell than blood withdrawals."

"How are you feeling?" he cleaned things up, "Better?"

"So much better," I fell back onto my bed.

"Are you good enough to go to school now?" Crowley helped me up.

I felt the buzzing of the blood take the place of the pain. This is why I love demon blood. One minute, I feel like I'm dying. The next, I could move mountain ranges like they were made of Styrofoam, "Yeah. I'm all better. Let's go kick some ass!"

"Alright," he settled me, "I appreciate the enthusiasm, but you still need to blend in. Dial it back a bit and I'll take you to school."

"You're getting way too excited about our onset domesticity," I jumped out of bed and dug through my bag for some clean clothes.

"Sue me for caring about your education," Crowley shrugged, "Fake or otherwise. Just know, Lena, Hell had no shortage of good lawyers."

"My brother was almost a good lawyer," I remembered reading something about Sammy getting into Stanford on a full ride. If Dean wouldn't have shown up, he would've been a damn good lawyer. I have no doubt. But for now, I had other things to take care of, "Do you mind? You don't need to see me get dressed."

"Sorry." Just when he thinks he's got the upper hand, I give Crowley the not so subtle reminder that I got him wrapped around my little finger. He wants to play pretend as my dad so bad. Most of them will say they're wrapped rather tightly. And with my innate ability to get anyone to do anything for me, it's cake.

"Alright," I finished the button on the top of my jeans, "You're good. Let's go!"

Don't get me wrong. I was a girl that learned to appreciate a good cup of coffee, but demon blood worked a whole hell of a lot better. For the first time in a while, I was genuinely excited to go to school. Things were relatively normal. I mean, if normal meant undercover work at seventeen while I'm saving this girl from vampires, but I did say relatively normal, didn't I?

Still, I had friends. I had a bitch I could not stand to save my life. Was this what other kids my age felt that weren't born into the life? All they had to worry about was finals and who they're taking to prom and other assorted John Hughes clichés. A couple years ago, I had to figure out how to get out of Hell. Actual Hell. I had to get Lucifer himself off my back. The damn King of Hell was currently posing as my dad! Regardless of my lineage, I had an English class to get to.

In order to do that, I had to duck that Rachael chick to the best of my ability. Although, I could probably find out more about Christina from her (because the student body president is going to have her fingers on the pulse of everything. Eye roll.), but personally, I'd rather an enema. By the way we were talking yesterday, Christina and I were already on the fast track to becoming friends. The less I can see Rachael, the better. Fortunately, I didn't have any classes with her, so I had that going for me. That doesn't mean she won't look for me.

Stealthily navigating through the Sioux Falls High School halls, I made it to English and took a seat in the back with the rest of the heathen students. I felt so at home. The old, angry bitch stood at the front, zeroing in on me. If she could shoot laser beams out of her eyes, I would've been extra crispy. Kill them with kindness, right? I took a pouch of demon blood out of my bag (Crowley was kind enough to replenish my stock before we left), rekindling my buzz. As I started sucking it down, I kept eye contact with her and a smile on my face.

"Hey, Charlie," Seth took a seat next to me, "How are we on this beautiful morning?"

"Are you stoned?" I looked him over.

"Nope," he shook his head, "Clear as a bell."

"To answer your question," I put my applesauce down, "I'm peachy. How are you?"

"Not too bad," Seth giggled a little, "Hoping we get to see the teacher piss herself again."

"Good times," I kicked my feet up on the desk.

"And," he added, "I'm hoping your dad doesn't bust up lunch for us again."

"You know," I suggested, "Why don't we invite Christina to come with us?"

"Christina?" Seth gave me a look, "What for?"

"When we were in art yesterday," I explained, "She just seemed like she could use a friend. Maybe she's gone dark because she's got some things going on. I don't know about you, but when I get that bad, it's nice to have friends you can count on."

"But," he bit his bottom lip, "I was kind of hoping that it'd be just the two of us."

"Come on," I insisted, "Please?"

Besides, I needed to know some things and I always was crafty with my words. Even though Seth was a good dude, I had a feeling I knew what he wanted me alone for. As cute as he is and as big of a peach he's been since I got here, I'm not looking for that right now. It'd be cool to say it happened in the backseat of a Corvette, but not right now. Maybe if I blow back through town again, I'll look him up.

"Alright." I could see the strain in his eyes, but he wanted to make me happy. For some reason or another. Was it just for my body? The world may never know. But for my sake, he faked a little smile, "We can do that. You know where my car is, right?"

"Yeah," I nodded, "Probably the only bright red Corvette in the parking lot."

"Yes, ma'am," Seth started coming around, "You got your Mustang?"

"Unfortunately, no," I pouted, "Dad took it."

"What a buddy, what a pal," he jabbed, "When he got you yesterday, I almost had a moment. She's beautiful."

"Thanks," I smiled, "My brother fixed it up for me for my birthday a couple years ago and it's been the apple of my eye ever since. She's my baby."

"Mine, too," Seth agreed, "They grow up so fast, don't they?"

"You couldn't pay me to take a new Mustang over mine," I scoffed, "I grew up around classic American muscle."

"You need to meet my dad," he demanded, "I'm sure he'd love you."

"Meeting the parents already?" I gasped, "It's so sudden. Next thing you know, you'll be asking me for my hand."

"I never said we were a thing," Seth retaliated, "Ha! I knew you were into me."

"I was being sarcastic," I settled him, "Now, I know your true feelings. Sorry, Seth. I'm a master of psychological warfare. I've had every psychiatric professional in the area play around in my head and I can defend against just about anything. Hit me. You will not see the other side of the trenches."

"Jesus," he was taken aback, giving me the same, pitiful look I've seen many a time before, "Who hurt you, Charlie?"

"Lot of people," I admitted, "But enough about me."

"Can I hug you?"

"What the hell?" I shrugged, "Sure."

In a totally unexpected move, Seth hugged me tight in a way I've only felt once. It was two, almost three, years ago. Damn near to the date. I just met a new social worker that turned out to be God himself. The only home I ever knew at the time just burned down. The following morning, I'd get a hug that felt a lot like this. All it was missing was the smell of a hunter. Newsprint, lighter fluid, a little gunpowder, and (for this hunter in particular) leather. Maybe a hint of whiskey for good measure.

"If you ever need anything, Charlie," Seth's voice broke a bit, "Please. Don't ever hesitate to talk to me. I was too late with Christina. I don't want to make that mistake again."

And here I thought Rachael would've been the one devastated when I leave. This felt strangely genuine. Because I didn't need Seth crying on me, my arms snaked around his waist, "Ok."

"Good girl." If I didn't know any better, I'd think he just kissed the top of my head, making me weak at the knees.

All through English, I couldn't focus. I don't like this. I don't like this at all. You had one rule since you struck out on your own, Lena. Everything and everyone is temporary. Don't get too involved with locals. You're just going to leave and it's going to kill them inside. Damn my delightful personality! And Seth wasn't making it any easier.

I liked him. There was no arguing that anymore. He was giving me a warm, fuzzy feeling I've had a total of three times in my life. Each time was a little different from the last. But Seth...He was different. He made me feel special. I don't know how, but he managed to find a way.

I had a lunch date with him. At least we wouldn't be alone. In fact, I was more excited to talk to Christina again. As long as Crowley doesn't bust things up again, we should be golden. Then again, Crowley's also Crowley. He ruins things for fun and out of sheer spite. However, Crowley was the least of my worries. It's that black Impala Seth was talking about yesterday at the Sunset Inn that had me jumpy. I love my boys, but as far as I was concerned, this was my case. I've done this before and I sure as hell can do it again. Especially in my state.

As soon as the lunch bell rang, I went on a manhunt for Christina. I already knew where Seth would be. Either at his car or near the art room. Now, if I were a vampire's feeding bag, where would I be? Probably in the bathroom. But I was just there and Christina wasn't. I got nothing. Christina...Where the hell are you? I just want you to come out and play...

"Charlie!" Seth flagged me down by the art room with Christina standing next to him.

"There you are," I relaxed, "I've been looking all over the place for you."

"I always tell you to meet me by the art room," he pointed out, "Christina's usually there, too. You ready?"

Ring, ring.

I took my phone out of my pocket where the caller ID said Daddy. I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Dammit, Crowley, "You guys go ahead. I have to take this. I'll be there in a sec."

"Alright." Seth and Christina left me in the hall while I answered my call.

"Daddy?" I growled, "Really?"

"It's nice to hear from you, too, Lena," Crowley chimed on the other end, "How are things?"

"I'm about to get lunch," I reported, making a mental note to change his name back to pain in the ass.

"By yourself?" he sounded a lot more alarmed than he should.

"No," I swear to god…

"Who are you going to be with?" Crowley asked, being the overly protective father he wasn't to me.

"The guy you saw yesterday," I rested my forehead on the wall, resisting the urge to run my head through it, "And my new best friend."

"And where are you going?"

"I don't know," I squeaked, "Somewhere."

"How are you feeling?" he worried, "Are you kept in good supply?"

"I'm fine." Why the hell was Crowley keeping me on such a short leash? I mean, it's nice to have someone concerned, but I was more than capable of taking care of myself, "What's with you today?"

"What?" Crowley jumped on the defensive, "I can't worry about you? I can't love you? My god, Lena…Have you considered seeing someone?"

"Do you forget what my last name is?" I retaliated, heading out of the building.

"Just checking in," he settled me, "Be careful when you're out today. I'd avoid any diners for lunch if I were you."

"Got it," I saw Seth and Christina standing at his car, waiting on me, "I have to go. I'm starving and I'm sure they are, too. I'll call you later."

"Fine," Crowley threw a white flag, "But if your new little boyfriend says you're going to the Come and Go Diner, say no."

"Why?" I chuckled, "Bad food poisoning incident?"

"Your brothers are taking a lunch break, too."

"Ah," I thought so, but I didn't want to say it.

"Go play with your friends, sweetheart," Crowley started laying on the domestics thicker than fog again, "I love you."

"I love you, too, Daddy," I gagged a little, hanging up on him.

"I'm guessing your dad?" Seth got my door for me.

"Unfortunately," I jumped in the front seat, "Pain in the ass, but he's the pain in my ass, so I can't be too mad. Where to?"

"I don't know," he shrugged, "Christina? Any requests?"

"Somewhere vegan?" she asked.

"That's fine," Seth allowed, "Charlie? That cool with you?"

"Sure." One time, I tried eating vegan. I've never seen Dean with a weirder look on his face. It's like I shot his puppy in the face in front of him. That probably puts the Come and Go Diner off the list. Good news.

There was a place not too far from it, though, that looked exactly what I'd imagine a vegan restaurant would. Whoever did the decorating has ran a successful health spa before and had to lead a Zumba class on the side. Or hot yoga. Now, I understood why we stayed away from places like this. Although, I'm not surprised Christina picked a vegan place. I'm sure she's kept eating ridiculously healthy, so her blood flow isn't restricted.

As we sat and had lunch like normal high school kids, I studied Christina's movements. Slow, tired, and this girl was hiding some serious dark circles. Whoever did her makeup needed to learn to blend a little better. Poor thing. She didn't deserve to be kept like this. Alive for the sake of her blood. It's sick…I'll be able to save you, Christina. I promise. And for Seth to be so in the dark. But today was not the day for the X-Files talk. If all goes well, I won't have to give that talk.

Despite the fact that my oatmeal cookie was oddly good for it being vegan, I needed something a little stronger, "Hey, guys, I'm going to go to the bathroom. I'll be right back."

"Sure," Seth let me go, "We're not going anywhere."

I got up from our table and locked a bathroom stall behind me. Now, for real lunch. Ever since I've been hitting Crowley's blood regularly, I haven't been dying for a cigarette, so I guess this had more perks than I thought. After I emptied a pouch of applesauce and dealt with the initial buzzing through my veins, I stepped back out to the restaurant and noticed a man in a really nicely fitting suit talking with Seth. Crap. Not good.

"Seventy-four?" the man gasped, "She's in great shape."

"Thanks, man," Seth beamed, taking pride in his baby, "You're pretty lucky to be with the FBI and still get to drive around in your beauty."

"It's a blessing," he agreed, "That's for sure."

"You need to talk to my friend Charlie," Seth insisted, putting an immediate pit in my stomach. Shut up, Seth. Catch my mental telepathy. Shut up, "That Mustang is swoon worthy. But her dad's got it for now. She's in the bathroom right now. You can stick around another minute or two, right?"

"Sorry," the suit shot him down, "I have to get back to work. If you two hear anything about the Jane Doe, either one of them, give me a call, ok?"

"No problem," Seth took his business card, "Agent Morello."

"Stay in school."

Thank God…I let out a heavy sigh of relief. Seth, you idiot. If you would've kept talking, Dean would've started putting pieces together. It's bad enough you dropped mentions of my Mustang. I just hope Crowley wasn't stupid enough to leave her out in the open for the world to see. He even said when I was in Baltimore that a better way of hiding was to stay away from muscle cars. And that included my Mustang. Maybe he knew something for cloaking. Either way. Seth needed to learn to not be so trusting.

"Hey there." Speak of the devil, "You just missed the guy that owns that Impala we were drooling over. He was drooling over my Corvette."

"Yeah," I cringed internally, "That sucks."

"I got his number, though!" Seth slid his card to me. Agent Morello, huh? Going Rage Against the Machine with the aliases, are we, boys? Cute, "I'd love to get a better look at his Impala."

"I bet he's a dick, though," I figured, trying to throw him off Dean's scent, "There's no way a guy with a car like that is a good dude."

"I got a car like that," he pointed out, "And I'm a sweetheart, am I not?"

"That's not what I meant," I got nothing, "I saw the guy and he came off as a dick. That's all I'm saying."

"So, Charlie," Seth switched tangents, "What are you doing after school?"

"I don't know," I thought it over. Probably a little more investigating on these vamps in town. Deliberate with Crowley. Get a drink. Call it a night, "Why?"

"Because," he begged, "I want you to meet my dad. I told you earlier. You need to see his car. If you think mine's gorgeous, it's got nothing on his. Please? If you want, just so it's not weird and you're not alone, you should come, too, Christina."

"Yeah," Christina kept her voice down. But she was different. She was jumpier than usual. She looked like she was about to come out of her skin.

"But we should be getting back," Seth thought, "I'm sure the teacher's going to be pissed if we're late."

Christina's change in demeanor still had me worried. I kept an eye on her from the rearview mirror as we made our way back to school. She was twitchy and shifty and the chances of her sitting still for very long were virtually nonexistent. Whenever Seth mentioned me meeting his dad, she was just as jittery. Off her meds? Was she even on any to begin with? I've never wanted to come clean and tell someone what I was and that I could keep her safe more in my life than right now. But that's something for me to tell her when we can get a minute alone.

 **A/N: This is a very long chapter. The plot thickens. I'm very tired, friends. But look at this. Lena's a real girl now. She's getting human emotion. And I think she's not the only one. Let's go back to the very beginning when poor little Lena was in absolute hell. Who made her feel all better? Well…She does have him as Daddy in her phone. And he's definitely treating her like she's Daddy's little girl. I'm such a dick. But just wait, friends. Just you wait. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go to bed. Maybe. I don't know. But I'll be here. See you next chapter! xx**


	13. Bleeding Love

In the middle of art, I got up to go to the bathroom. Something in my stomach wasn't feeling right. That's what I told the teacher anyway. Which wasn't entirely lying to him. I did have a weird feeling in my stomach, but not in the way he was thinking. Besides, I was due for a packet of applesauce anyway. I made sure I was alone and whipped my phone out. At least his phone number was easy to remember.

"What?" a voice barked on the other end.

"Jesus," I gasped, "Nice to hear from you, too, Crowley. Am I interrupting your tee time? Were you getting laid? Taking a nap you so desperately need by the sounds of things?"

"I'm sorry," he realized the error of his ways, "Your idiot brothers have me on edge."

"I'd be shocked if they didn't," I took a seat on the back of the toilet, "What'd they do?"

"They've been looking all over town for this nest," Crowley vented, "And not only do I have to keep them off your ass, but I have to let you have your case."

"Which we won't have for much longer," I settled him, "Because I think I'm zeroing in on things."

"Really?" he perked up, "Do tell."

"After school," I sipped on my blood pouch, "I have plans with Seth and Christina. I'm sure I can get Christina alone for a while."

"You have a study group?" Crowley awed, "Lena, that's adorable."

"It's not a study group," I rolled my eyes, "It's gathering information."

"Are you sure about that?" he jabbed, "Because I think you're enjoying this a lot more than you're letting on."

"What do you mean?"

"Face it, Lena," Crowley explained, "As of right now, you're getting the high school experience the orphanage fire took away from you. You've got friends your own age, a boy that's romantically interested in you."

"When was that one?" I stopped him.

"Seth, I think you said his name was."

"How do you know he's romantically interested?" I scoffed, "This feels like you're trying to make crap up to get me to talk about my feelings."

"No, it's genuine," Crowley assured, "His face changes color when you speak. He likes you."

"All that aside," I blushed, "I thought I'd give you the heads up. I won't be home this afternoon."

"Should I stop by right now?" he offered, "I'd hate for you to go into withdrawal when you're with your new friends. They probably wouldn't know how to handle it and make the stupid mistake of taking you to the hospital. The doctor wouldn't know what to do with you. Sam and Dean would find out and get a hold of you. I made you a deal back in Baltimore, darling. I don't plan on going back on it."

"Yeah," I looked in my bag, "I could stand one extra pouch. If you want to drop by with another blood bag, I'd really appreciate it."

"Ahem..." I felt a tap on my shoulder, "Quick enough for you?"

"Damn," I took my applesauce from him, "You're quicker than getting pizza."

"How are you now?" Crowley checked me over, "Are you feeling ok? You look a little pale."

"I just emptied a pouch," I reported, "I'll be good for a while. Just have to wait for it to kick in."

"Good," he slipped another in my bag, "You know how much I worry."

"I do," I grumbled, "Much to my chagrin most of the time."

"Now," Crowley cradled my face in his hand, "If you don't need anything else, I should be off."

"I got nothing," I shrugged, "Thanks, Crowley."

"What?" he froze up, "What did you just say to me?"

"Uh..." I gave him a look, "You know. Thank you. For hooking me up. Why? I don't understand. What's the big deal?"

"I've been dealing with the ungrateful dynamic duo all day," Crowley let out a heavy sigh, "Just one thank you! Two little words! Is that too much to ask for? They can recite an entire bloody exorcism, but the simplest thing is entirely lost on them. I swear, I should go down to Hell, find John Winchester, and give him a piece of my mind!"

"Crowley," I tried to get him to calm down, "Remember where we are. Relax. Find a happy place. One where you don't have to put up with Sam and Dean."

"Sweetheart," he chuckled a bit, "My happy place is a cozy corner of Hell where I have Lucifer racked up on one side and Hitler racked up on the other and I've managed to grow tentacles. Kind of like the monsters on your computer."

"Leave my computer alone!"

"Shh..." Crowley put his finger over my lips, "Remember where we are, Lena. Or should I say Charlotte?"

"Shut up," I shrugged him off me, "And don't touch my computer."

"I see my little girl has some shameful pictures she doesn't want Daddy to see," he teased, "Anything else I should know about?"

"If you want shameful," I suggested, "Look at Dean's search history. That's just as weird. Now, I have to get back to class. I'll be back around five and I'll text you if I stay out later."

"I'll just be sitting by the phone, waiting for it to ring," Crowley leaned up against the wall, "I'll miss you."

"You're such a drama queen," I rolled my eyes, "Get out of here before someone sees you."

"Yes, dear." And just like that, Crowley poofed off God knows where. I still had an art class to finish up. I went back to the art room and took my seat at my desk. Doodles. Hopeless little doodles. That's all I had to do.

"Hey," Seth watched me over my shoulder, "You're pretty good."

"Thanks," I bit my lip, going back to my shading on a giant squid as it destroyed a small city.

"What's the inspiration for this?" he wondered, studying my technique closely. Almost a little too close for comfort, "Something about the ocean taking back their lands?"

"No," I shook my head, "If I tell you, do you promise not to judge?"

"Pinky promise."

"I saw this in a hentai once," I admitted, "Thought it'd be cool to draw out."

"What's hentai?" Seth gave me a look.

"Thank God," I sighed out, "You're still innocent. You really don't know what hentai is?"

"No."

"Run far and run fast," I warned, "Once you get into it, it's a pain in the ass to try and get out. Ha...I made a joke."

"It's lost on me," Seth sat next to me, "Can I watch you work, Charlie? My project's all done for the day."

"Sure," I allowed, "But what did you do?"

"I sketched out this girl I know," he smiled, "She looks really nice in charcoals."

"Does she?" I thought back to what Crowley said in the bathroom. Dammit. He was into me. No. You don't know that, Lena. He might have done someone else. You're overreacting.

"I'd like for her to see it," Seth offered his hand, "When she's not drawing scenes from hentai."

Dammit...It was me. I started to sweat a little, "You drew me?"

"It's still a little rough," he led me over to his easel where a smaller canvas sat, "It could stand some tweaking, but I'm sure the subject would say the same thing."

This was incredible. To think, I was drawing scenes from anime porn all this time and he was working on this. The hyperrealism was almost a bit creepy and the thought of me in a white dress on a wooden swing. But there was no doubt. That was me. Tweaking, he says. Tweaking my ass. It's perfect. How the hell was Seth making it so easy for me to fall for him? I knew I couldn't out of necessity, but once I leave, it's going to kill him.

"Seth..." I could hardly get words out, "This is...It's amazing."

"Nicely done, Seth," the teacher came up behind us, "You're a natural talent. I hope you plan on doing something with this after graduation."

"I don't know," he shrugged, "I thought about freelancing and getting galleries and stuff like that, but you really think it could be in the cards for me?"

"I do," I assured, "Maybe a tattoo artist, if you got steady enough hands. That's the only think you're missing on me."

"What?" I thought Seth's eyes were about to come out of his head, "You don't have tattoos?"

"One," I nodded, "It runs down the back of my leg."

"You don't strike me as the tattooed type."

"People can surprise you," the teacher pointed out, "Keep up the good work, kid."

"Can I..." Seth turned shy, "Can I see it?"

"In mixed company?" I gasped, "Seth, what kind of hussy do you think I am? I am a classier lady than that."

"Then, how about I get you dinner first?" he suggested, blushing a little, "Later tonight?"

Wait. He was serious. Even worse, Crowley was right. I had a job to do here. I couldn't afford to get attached. When I leave, it'll just break his heart. By the sounds of it, though, he's totally willing to accept that. Alright. I could still be unattached, but who was I to deny this dude a little bit of joy for the time being? Who knows? Sailors have a lover in every port. Maybe I could, too.

"Ok," I smiled, "Any particular time?"

"Seven o'clock?"

"It's a date," I confirmed, internally freaking out about what just came out of my mouth. I've only been on a few dates in my life. I had hardly any experience with this kind of thing. I could twiddle a butterfly knife in my fingers without cutting myself, but dating? Lost on me. It's times like these where I wish I could call up either one of my brothers for some friendly advice. And I would, too, if I knew it wouldn't just turn into me getting bitched at. Pass.

Ring!

Saved by the bell. Although, the light in Seth's eyes didn't dissipate, "Cool. I'll see you at seven then?"

"Wait," I stopped him, "What about you, me, and Christina hanging out after school?"

"That's not changing," he assured, "We're still hanging out. Is that ok?"

"Yeah," I shook it off, "I guess I'll see you later then."

"Bye," Seth waved me off and I went to hide off in my biology class. Blood. I needed another hit. Maybe just half a pouch. I need to ration this out. For the first time in ages, I had an actual, honest to God date. I'm not quite sure how to feel about this. Screw it. I'm doing the whole pouch. I could do a couple hours without any blood. Come on, Lena. Get it together.

The warm, fuzzy feeling started to take over and kill all of the emotions that were strangling me. I don't care about mitochondria. I don't care about cell reproduction. All I needed was this little pouch and I'd be content with the world. Lena's in her happy place. Lena's also talking to herself in third person and needs to quit that. I'd just kick my feet up and zone out for the rest of the day.

Once the final bell rang, I found Seth and Christina outside the art room and the three of us got into Seth's car. God, she sounded pretty. Every time he'd rev the engine, my heart would skip a beat. If the weather was just a bit warmer, I'd be telling him to throw the windows down, put in one of my mixtapes, and go absolutely nuts. That sounded like a damn good time.

"Well," Seth pulled into the driveway of a giant Victorian in a quiet neighborhood, "Here we are. Home sweet home."

"This is your place?" I gasped. Then again, I was used to occasionally squatting in abandoned houses and crappy motel rooms and the bunker. To me, this was practically the Taj Mahal.

"Yep," he got the door for me. What a gentleman, "If you think the house is nice, you should see the toys in the garage."

"Oh?" I couldn't contain my excitement anymore. This was like Disneyland for me in my heart and soul. Hearing what Seth has told me about his garage made my knees go weak.

"Come here," Seth took my hand and led me to the window. I could only see the tops of three different cars in there, "If you give me a sec, I'll get the opener from my dad."

"Seth," a deep, velvety voice spoke, also making me weak at the knees, "I didn't know you were having friends over. What's the occasion?"

"No occasion," Seth explained, nudging me forward, "This is Charlie. She wanted to see the garage."

"Did she?" the man took my hand, raising it to his lips. Swoon…Nosebleed imminent, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Charlie. My name is Nikolai. Would you like to see inside?"

"Absolutely!" I squeaked, unable to control the volume of my voice anymore.

"My, my," Nikolai smiled, making me bite the back of my tongue to keep myself from smiling back, "An excitable little one, aren't you?"

"Just a bit of a gearhead," I admitted, "Thanks to my brothers and my uncle and an ex-boyfriend."

"I see," he opened the overhead doors and what I saw on the other side…It was the land of milk and honey. I knew a certain someone that if he were standing in front of these doors, he'd have the same feeling a certain angel gave him. And I wouldn't blame him, "Well? What do you think, Charlie?"

"That white Rolls Royce," I swooned, resisting the urge to touch it…And maybe cry a little, "That's got to be at least a '55. Right?"

"You like that?" Nikolai asked, "Because that's my Rolls Royce. The other two are my daughters' cars. They don't have the same…appreciation as what I do for the older models."

"She's beautiful," I praised, "How's she drive?"

"Exactly how you'd imagine," he promised, "Think about taking her up the coast in northern California all the way to the Washington-Canadian border in the middle of summer with the warm breeze blowing your hair back. Truly a magical experience."

"Need me something like that." I know where Crowley and I are headed next. That sounded fantastic and putting the top down on the Mustang was something she sorely needed. Screw any cases that might come across the wire. I'm taking a well-deserved vacation.

"Come on," Seth took my hand, "Let's go inside. You can chat up my dad later."

"I'm not…" I felt the heat rise in my face, "No. I…"

"Please," he draped an arm around my shoulder, "I've known him for way too long. I know when my friends think he's hot."

"It's not…!"

"I know," Seth settled me down, "You have no intentions of becoming my step-mom. That'd be weird."

"She's definitely cute, Seth," Nikolai admitted, winking at me. Ok. Now, he's just messing with me.

"We'll be back later, Dad," Seth brushed him off, "We're going to go study."

"Study?" Nikolai gave him a look, "You're taking two lovely young ladies up to your bedroom and you expect me to think you're actually studying? Whatever you say, son."

"We are," he rolled his eyes, taking both Christina and me into the house, "Sorry about him, Charlie. He can come on a little strong."

"No worries," I shrugged, following him through the living room where two borderline supermodels were laying on opposing couches, scrolling through their phones, watching TV.

"Ladies," Seth gave them a little salute.

"Welcome home, Seth," one of them spoke. A leggy, bleached blonde, California stereotype that glowed like an ethereal goddess.

"Who's the fresh meat?" the other asked. She looked like she crawled out of an aesthetic blog. She covered her tiny frame in a giant, chunky knit sweater and sharp black leggings and a pair of big framed glasses over her dark, striking eyes.

"This is Charlie," he introduced me, "Charlie, these are my delightful sisters. On the left, we have Gabrielle. On the right, we have Aja."

"Hey," Tumblr Queen, Aja, looked past me, "You brought Christina back, too."

"She didn't want to think this meant something weird," Seth threw me under the bus, "So having someone else here would even the playing field."

"You dick!" I got defensive, "That's not what…!"

"Feisty one, isn't she?" Gabrielle teased.

"We'll be upstairs," Seth waved them off, "Shall we?"

"Hold on," Aja stopped us, "Christina, come here. We need to catch up."

"Ok…" Christina spoke softly, going into the living room instead.

"That's ok, right?" Seth looked over to me, "My sisters have always had a soft spot for her."

"Sure," I wasn't quite positive how accurate that was, but Seth seemed pretty harmless. I followed him upstairs and at the end of the hall on the left, there was a solid oak door blocking our way. When Seth opened it, I didn't expect anything different. Band posters plastered all over the walls. Some good, some god awful, but I didn't have the heart to judge his music tastes. A few classic movie posters, too. Some paint splattered on the hardwood floor.

"Now, we're home sweet home," Seth jumped onto his bed. No silk sheets? I'm almost surprised. He really wasn't expecting anything, "Jesus, Charlie, relax. You look like you're about to come out of your skin."

"I am relaxed," I threw my bag on the chair in the corner and sat next to him, "You act like you're the first guy to ever take me to his bedroom. There was this guy I was seeing for a while off and on that I used to stay at his house on the regular. He was seventeen. I was fourteen. He was sweet."

"Why didn't you two work out?" he wondered.

I thought it over for a minute. Why didn't it work out with Luke and me? I mean, he was a good dude. Still is. Maybe because we were too close. Every day, we were practically up each other's asses. Every band practice, I was there. Every school function I didn't want to go to, but I had to anyway, he was there. He was probably the best relationship I'd ever have, but I couldn't deal with that. That's what it was, "He smothered me. Hell of a guy, but he smothered me. I couldn't deal with boys in a band anymore."

"Oh…" Seth lowered his eyes. In that moment, I might as well have just shot his puppy in front of him and fed it to him shortly after, "So, you don't date guys in bands anymore?"

"Dammit," I sighed out, "That's right. You wouldn't happen to be the drummer, would you? Because that would mean I really have a type."

"Guitar."

"Ok," I settled down, trying to regain some brownie points here, "Do you think you could play for me?"

"On one condition…"

"What?" I kind of owed the guy. I sort of insulted him a little.

"You," Seth strapped on an acoustic, "play with me."

"I don't play anything," I pointed out.

"You told me you could sing, though," he hid a smile, "I'll play you anything you want."

"Oh, come on," I groaned, "Really?"

"Anything you want," Seth allowed, "Any genre. I can play it all."

"I don't know," I thought for a minute, "Surprise me."

"Alright," he started with a soft, sweet guitar riff, "You know this one?"

"I think so," I couldn't hold back a smile if I wanted to, "Is this what you do with every other girl you bring around here? Play her the Beatles and instantly, her panties disappear?"

"No, just you," Seth kept playing, "Go on. Impress me."

"Blackbird singing in the dead of night," I began, "Take these broken wings and learn to fly…"

"All your life," he joined in, "You were only waiting for this moment to arise."

And so, we continued on. After we finished Blackbird, I thought I was going to break down. That's been one of my favorite Beatles songs since I was little. According to Uncle Bobby, my mom used to sing it to me when I was still in the womb. Maybe that's got something to do with it. It's always filled me with a certain melancholy. Once I got myself back together, we were interrupted by Christina finally coming upstairs.

"Hey, Christina," Seth greeted her, offering her a seat on the bed, "Care to join us?"

"Sure," she stumbled a few steps and caught herself on the wall.

"Are you ok?" I worried, helping her to the bed.

"Yeah," Christina dug in her bag for an orange pill bottle, "Just a little dizzy. I'll be fine."

"Did you forget to take your medicine today, Christina?" Seth asked, just as concerned as I was.

"I think so," she popped one white tablet in her mouth, swallowing it dry.

"What's it for?" I wondered, "If you don't mind me asking?"

"Iron deficiency," Christina put the bottle back, still seeming a bit out of it, "Seth, can I borrow your bed?"

"Sure," Seth and I got up and let her lay down. He covered her up with one of the blankets, "Get some sleep, ok?"

"Ok…" Not ten seconds went by before Christina was out cold.

"I should be going, too," I grabbed my bag, "Not that this wasn't fun, Seth, but I'll see you tonight. We really should let her get some sleep."

"Yeah," Seth let me go, "Ok. I'll pick you up at seven."

"Looking forward to it," I bit the inside of my cheek.

"Wait, Charlie," he stopped me, "Let me at least give you a ride back to your place."

"Don't worry about it," I brushed him off, "I appreciate the sentiment, but I could stand a walk anyway. It's not too far."

"I'll see you tonight," Seth gave me a little smile, "And it'd be really cool if we could jam together again."

"Hopefully," I waved him off and headed downstairs.

"Aww…" Aja whined from the living room, "Leaving already?"

"I need to be getting home," I confirmed.

"Will this be the last time we see you, Charlie?" Gabrielle wondered.

"I don't know," I shrugged, "I don't think so."

"Run along then," Aja shooed me out, "We'll see you soon."

They seemed nice. Poor Christina, though. She looked like her skin lost a couple shades and like she was about to keel over. Of course she's got an iron deficiency. It's too bad I didn't get to talk to her like I wanted to, but soon enough, I'm sure I could get her to agree to a slumber party. I didn't want to resort to that. Slumber parties never were my thing. The nuns made me go to one in third grade and it was hell. I ended up getting pissed off halfway through the night and called Uncle Bobby to come and get me. I might have been twenty minutes away, but he'd be damned if his little girl had to suffer.

I got back to the hotel in record time and threw myself on the bed. My withdrawal was starting to set in and I didn't deserve that. Unfortunately, my blood supply in the fridge was gone already and I didn't have any pouches left. Come on, Lena. You can hold out for just a little while longer. At least until Crowley gets back and you can get some straight from the tap. Maybe a distraction will help. Like clearing my internet search history and moving my hentai off my laptop.

"It has been a day…" Crowley came in, nearly mirroring me, "Hi, Lena. You're back early."

"The feedbag's taking a nap," I let out a heavy sigh, "How was your day?"

"Exasperating," he stayed still, "You?"

"Same," I nodded, "But I have a fever setting in and I can't sit still."

"Here," Crowley threw me a full pouch, "Enjoy. I don't feel like tapping a vein right now. I'm very tired and I could stand a nap, a massage, and a good scotch."

"Thanks," I took long, heavy slurps from the bag, "That sounds like a hell of an idea, but as much as I'd love to join you, I can't."

"Why not?"

"I need your credit card."

"What the hell for?" Crowley sat back up.

"I got a date tonight," I explained, finishing up, "And I got nothing to wear, so I need to do some shopping."

"Excuse me?" his anger turned to playful teasing, "Does my little girl have a gentleman caller?"

"Don't say it like that," I groaned.

"I'd like to meet him," Crowley's parenting was really starting to piss me off, "I need to see if he's good enough for my baby."

"I'm not your baby," I cringed, "Just need the credit card and I'll be off."

"What time will he be here?" he asked, prying more into my love life.

"Seven," I had to pickpocket the King of Hell today. A sentence I never thought I'd ever say in my life, "I'll be back shortly."

"Be careful, darling," Crowley wrapped his arms around me, "I love you!"

"You're a dick."

 **A/N: I know. This chapter is hella long and it's gone off what I have written down on the outline all over the place. But I like it! We've met some of Seth's family. We had Crowley being a delight and a pain in the ass. We had Seth's dad being creepy. But I like Nikolai. I don't care what anyone else says. Nikolai is a delight and I love him, ok? And Seth playing off the fact that he's got a DILF makes me weirdly happy. Ok. I'm going to go now and probably…I don't know. I think I deserve a snack. See you next chapter! xx**


	14. Unravel

**A/N: SCOOBYNATURAL'S TONIGHT. SCOOBYNATURAL'S TONIGHT. SCOOBYNATURAL'S TONIGHT. SCOOBYNATURAL'S TONIGHT. SCOOBYNATURAL'S TONIGHT. SCOOBYNATURAL'S TONIGHT. THE CROSSOVER NO ONE ASKED FOR, BUT WE GOT ANYWAY.**

 **Ahem…Sorry. I got a little excited, didn't I?**

My feet were killing me. Shopping for something nice didn't feel the same without Cas questioning every single store we passed. Why does this store give off such an evil energy, Lena? Why are those teenagers so angry, Lena? Why would one need so many candles, Lena? Why does this store exploit child labor, Lena? Why can't we go make a teddy bear, Lena? There were no angels in that store, Lena! Something about going shopping lacked a certain charm now. Regardless, I didn't do half bad. A tight pair of jeans and a sparkly tank top should be good enough, right?

I got back to the hotel and sat back down on the bed. At this point, I was just happy to be off my feet. In a perfect world, I'd grab a drink, too, but a hit of my new favorite vice would do just as well. Now, I know there's none in the fridge. There's none in my bag. Where, oh where, would a girl go to procure a little bit of demon blood. If only I had a demon on hand…Oh, wait! Totally do.

"Crowley!" I called out to the void, "Where the hell are you?"

"Over here," Crowley sat at one of the desks, working on a crossword puzzle, "Do you happen to know a six-letter word for top?"

C-A-S-T-I-E…I had nothing, "No. Sorry. I do know a four-letter word for a girl looking for a fix."

"I haven't gotten around to filling any bags while you were gone," he grabbed a knife out of the drawer, "You're not going into withdrawal yet, are you?"

"Not yet," I did a quick assessment. A slight chill, but the room was always cold anyway, "But it won't be long."

"Here," Crowley gave me his gushing wrist, "Get your fill. I'd hate for you to go into withdrawal while you're out with your new boyfriend. Addiction to demon blood isn't exactly first date conversation."

"He's not my boyfriend," I slurped on his arm, getting that instant warm feeling that only demon blood could give me.

"You're not fooling anyone, darling," he gabbed, "What did you say this kid's name was again?"

"Seth," I finished up, wiping the excess off my mouth, "He introduced me to his dad and his sisters earlier today. They seemed to like me."

"You are a delightful young woman, Lena," Crowley cleaned his arm up, "You're also gushing."

"Am I gushing?" I stopped myself.

"And you say he's not your boyfriend."

"Shut up," I felt a sudden warmth in my cheeks. And it's not the demon blood talking. Dammit, "I don't remember asking you for your opinion."

"That's the beauty of my opinion," he gave me a nudge, "You don't have to ask."

"I hate you," I grabbed my bags off my bed and headed to the bathroom. I'd say I had a decent enough haul from the Sephora counter to make myself look a little less dead. This did bring me back, though. I'd do this for shows in Hartford for Mel or she'd do it for me. Whichever one of us was fronting the band that night. And so, with my nostalgia in high gear, I got started turning myself into a fifties pinup.

Ring, ring.

"Lena, your phone!" Crowley yelled.

"Answer it," I allowed, "Unless it's one of the boys."

"If you say so," he answered my phone for me like a good sport, "Hello?"

"Um…Hello?" a nervous voice stuttered on the other end. Crap…

"Who is this?" Crowley asked, shooting glances at the bathroom mirror.

"Seth…" Crap, "Who's this?"

"Are you looking for Charlotte, by chance?"

"Yeah…" Seth droned, "Can I talk to her?"

"She's in the bathroom getting ready," Crowley kept screwing with him. Dammit. I should've answered my phone, "You know, Seth, Charlotte told me she had a date tonight with a boy named Seth. Tell me. Are you the same Seth taking my daughter out?"

"Yes, sir," Seth's voice shook, "If it's ok with you."

"On one condition…"

"Name it."

"I'd like to meet you," Crowley demanded while my forehead met the wall. Dammit, "When you come to pick Charlotte up, you will come to our door and knock exactly three times. We're currently staying at the Grand Hotel in room 333 while our new house is being rid of asbestos. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes, sir," Seth promised, "I should be there in fifteen minutes. Could you tell her?"

"Yes," he let him go, "I'll be waiting."

Click.

"Have you ever heard the term helicopter parent?" I asked, fixing my makeup.

"If loving and worrying about my little girl and the company she keeps is wrong," Crowley kicked his feet up, "I don't want to be right."

"What about when she's not your daughter?" I snapped at him.

"Lena," he clutched his chest, "I'm hurt. Do you not think me a father figure?"

"No," I said bluntly, "No, I don't."

"Rude," Crowley gasped, "I thought I raised you better."

"You're exasperating."

"You're not the first to tell me that."

"I'm shocked," I put on the finishing touches. All I needed was the aegerine Uncle Bobby gave me. Once I did the clasp, I stepped out of the bathroom, "Well? Good enough?"

"Not exactly my type," Crowley shrugged, "But I'm sure he'll appreciate the effort."

"I love you, Crowley," I groaned, "But you're a pain in my ass."

"I'm your pain in your ass," he beamed, "Also, I slipped a pouch of blood into your bag. You're welcome."

"That's why I still say I love you," I smiled, "Despite you being a giant pain in my ass."

Knock…

Knock…

Knock…

"Good boy," Crowley praised, getting up to get the door, "Are you Seth?"

"Yeah…" I swear, this poor boy was going to end up with a puddle around his ankles.

"Please," he insisted, "Come in."

"Charlie?" Seth looked around for me.

"Pay him no attention," I settled him, "I'm all he's got. Can you blame him?"

"Hi," he came around the corner, "You ready to go?"

"Yeah," I grabbed my bag.

"Hold on, young lady," Crowley stopped us, "I had all intentions of getting to know him. How am I supposed to know that he can keep you safe if something goes wrong?"

"If something goes sideways," I rolled my eyes, "You know damn well I can take care of it."

"I know I don't look like much," Seth added, "But I wouldn't let anything happen to your daughter, Mr. MacLoud. I promise."

"That's all any father could ever hope for," Crowley warmed up to him a little, "Seth, can I let you in on a little secret?"

"What?" my stomach dropped. What the hell was he trying to pull here?

"Because I'd hate for something to happen to Charlotte," he smirked, "I want you to know that I know some people in the local criminal underworld and they all care for Charlotte dearly. Be careful with my little girl and we won't have any problems."

"Yes, sir," Seth got his message. Really? Was he really taking the Goodfellas route with this? I swear to God...

"Come on," I took Seth by the wrist, "Let's go."

"Charlotte," Crowley pulled me to his side, "I love you. Be careful."

"Bye, Dad..." That hurts to say. Especially to Crowley.

And just like that, Seth and I were off to wherever he was taking me. I didn't really know what a date with Seth would include. Although, I wouldn't mind doing what we did this afternoon again. Just at night. Instead, the two of us got into his Corvette and he took me to a cozy hole in the wall bar that I've become accustomed to. Weird. It's like he was in my head.

"What are we doing here?" I asked, "We're underaged."

"It's cool," Seth assured, "I'm in good with the manager. He's a good dude."

I mean, I had a fake ID with just in case the night went sideways and I needed a drink, but this was ok, too, "Did you and the band play here or something?"

"A few times," he nodded, helping me out of the car, "Besides, there's a band playing here tonight from the area. I heard they're pretty damn good. You look like the kind of girl that'd be into that sort of thing."

"Always support your local bands, kids," I approved, "You never know who's going to blow up. You know where they're from?"

"Somewhere in the suburbs," Seth got the door for me. Damn...I'm not sure if he's trying to impress me or not, but the occasional chivalry is nice, "Delight on Delivery, I think they're called."

That was shooting off signals in Lena's little brain. Why did that sound familiar? Hell of a name for a band, but it sounded really familiar. When I was still living in the area, I was pretty plugged in to the local music scene, but where have I heard Delight on Delivery before? Either way, I could stand a night off. It'll be nice to get away from all the hunting crazy for the night.

Seth got the two of us a cozy booth off to the side and ordered food from the bar. This place was nice. Not like overly upscale, but compared to some of the really sketchy bars I've been in throughout my life, this reminded me of the bar back in Hartford. THAT'S WHERE I HEARD THAT BEFORE! I KNEW DELIGHT ON DELIVERY SOUNDED FAMILIAR! I'M THE ONE THAT CAME UP WITH IT!

It's good to know the guys got a gig! As much as I'd love to run up onstage and hug them all, I couldn't blow my cover. This was bad. Because I know for a fact that my boys would be able to pick out my face from a crowd. Dammit...I'm boned. I switched sides of the booth, facing the door instead of the stage. But for the sake of nostalgia, I couldn't help myself. I went to their merch table in the back and nabbed a t-shirt. They're still using my logo, too. I neatly folded the shirt and shoved it into my bag. Damn, I miss my boys.

"Hey," Seth sat back down with me, putting our drinks down, "Sudden seat swap?"

"Is that a problem?" I asked.

"No," he hid a smile, "Here. I wasn't sure what your poison of choice was."

"What'd you get me?" I looked into the martini glass that was an alarming shade of bright pink.

"Cosmo," Seth slid the glass over to me.

"Seriously?" I giggled, slamming the delightful combination of vodka and cranberry juice, "Now, let's try this again. I am not a rerun of Sex and the City. Jack and Coke, half and half."

"Alright," he got back up and fixed my drink order, "Is this better?"

"Absolutely," I took my first sip of whiskey in what feels like ages, trying not to swoon, "It's like a hug..."

"I never would've taken you for whiskey," Seth nudged me under the table, "But just a side note, we can't get too stupid. The manager doesn't want to get slammed with contributing to the delinquency of minors."

"Understandable," I gave him that, "And I'm sure he doesn't want to deal with a couple of drunk teenagers anyway."

"No one ever does," he clinked his glass against mine.

"So," I wondered, "What's your poison?"

"Gin," Seth shrugged, "Nothing too exciting. How'd you get hooked on whiskey?"

"It's always been in my blood," I admitted, "My uncle had a thing for whiskey. My brothers have a thing for whiskey. I guess I just followed suit."

"What about your dad?" he asked.

"My dad does scotch," I remembered the six of us sitting in the bunker, drinking the image of Crowley's mother banging an archangel out of our heads. Good times, "Or, on the complete opposite end of the spectrum, if you really want him to love you, anything that comes with little umbrellas, he's down for. Although, I'm not quite sure how he'd feel about you giving his seventeen year old daughter alcohol."

"I'm sure that after a few," Seth teased, "He'd be cool with anything."

"I've never seen him drunk," I thought back, "But my oldest brother has. He says he's delightful."

"Here, Seth," a pretty blonde waitress brought us a basket of fries covered in cheese and gravy and they looked disgusting. But magical all the same, "Enjoy."

"Thank you," Seth smiled at her, sending her off, "I know it's ridiculously unhealthy, but the smothered fries here are a gift from God."

"I'm not complaining," I already had one in my mouth.

"Hello, everyone," the band got started. It's good to hear Brendon's voice again, "I know you're not here for us, but it's nice to have you anyway. When we do our shows, our first song is always dedicated to a couple of former band members. Mel, one of our old lead singers and my one and only soulmate, is up in the stars going across the universe. And Lena…"

My heart sunk. I hated that all it took was a quick mention of Mel and one of me and I was damn near a blubbering mess. Of course, it couldn't go unnoticed. Seth caught me slightly snivel, "Charlie? You ok?"

"Yeah," I shook him off, not totally sure on how accurate that was.

"Lena's God only knows where," Brendon chuckled a little, "Never could keep tabs on her. We miss our frontwomen dearly, but we'll try to do them proud tonight."

Luke counted them in and I got up to go to the bathroom. The only thing that could make tonight worse was if Sam and Dean were to walk in the front door. I just hope that by some sick, twisted fate, they don't. This seemed like their kind of bar. Dean's anyway. Sam would rather get drunk in the motel room, but Chuck, if you're listening, please…I can't take much more. I just want one night where things don't hurt anymore. I thought about having a cigarette for the first time in three months, but I couldn't find them. Maybe a little bit of blood? No. Save that for a rainy day.

"Charlie?" Seth knocked on the door, "Are you ok?"

"Relatively," I pulled myself together, "I'm sorry. I wasn't anticipating random crying fits tonight."

"Why don't you come back out here?" he suggested, "I got your drink in hand. We can get going."

"Ok," I got rid of the black streaks down my face and came out to my whiskey and my date.

"Come here," Seth wrapped his arms around me, "I don't know what happened to set you off like that, but hopefully, it's over. Right?"

"Yeah," I nodded, nuzzling my face in his chest. Once I downed the rest of my drink, the two of us were off again. My boys were so close, but they were so far away all the same. For the sake of the case, I couldn't blow my cover. Maybe when this is all over and I find out where Christina's coven is, I'll pay them a visit. An era long past.

"So?" Seth got the car door for me, "Where to?"

"I don't know," I was already getting kind of tired, "Surprise me."

"Hey…" he stuttered, "Can I be honest with you?"

"I insist," I allowed, "Something on your mind?"

"I…" Seth blushed a bit. But before another word came out of his mouth, his mouth found its way to my mouth and he gave me the softest, most gentle kiss I've ever had in my life. Luke was good. Don't get me wrong. But this? This was one of those movie moments where I kind of went cross-eyed and got that dizzy feeling everyone always talked about when they were in love, "I've been wanting to do that damn near since the minute we met. You were so sweet, but so salty. I've never met someone so balanced."

"HA!" I couldn't help myself, "Sweetheart, I'm far from balanced."

"Not that kind of balanced," he giggled, "More like…You know who you are and what you want. And I like that about you. And I'd love to keep kissing you, if that's alright."

"Absolutely," I didn't even give it a second thought. Then again, I think my hormones had me on autopilot. Dean and I would joke about me making out with a guy in the back of a muscle car, but neither one of us ever thought it'd happen. Technically, it didn't. It's a front seat.

"Let's just go back to my house," he held my hand on the shifter, "Sound good?"

"Sure," my eyelids got heavier and heavier the closer we got to his house. No. This wasn't from me being tired. I knew what tired felt like. This was something totally different. Someone spiked my drink. Son of a bitch, someone spiked my drink…

When I woke up again, I was laying in an oddly comfortable bed. If I wasn't a bit on the nervous side, I'd probably go back to sleep. Where the hell was I? It's cold down here. Or I was going through withdrawal. No. This wasn't withdrawal. This was just a hella cold basement. All he had to do was say he was kinky. If Seth would've asked, I probably would've been cool with it, but this was a bit much for me. Can I call the safe word now?

"Charlie…?" a soft voice called out meekly.

"Christina?" I kept my fingers crossed. So much for thinking Seth wanted to get kinky, "What are you doing here?"

"I sleep here," she could hardly speak. Her voice sounded so hoarse, "When they let me."

"I'm going to get us out of here," I promised, "I know who they are and why they're keeping you here. They're vampires, right?"

"How…" Christina's voice broke, "How did you…?"

"Iron deficient, huh?" I teased, trying to make light of a dark situation, "Kind of a giveaway. Look, can you stand?"

"I'm too tired," she panted, "I just got through a feeding."

"Alright," I thought on my feet, "You rest up, ok? I'm going to get us both out of here."

"Thank you, Charlie," Christina sighed out, ready to collapse.

"Actually," I came clean, "It's Lena. I've been looking for the vamp nest in this town since I got here. The guy I said was my dad is my…partner. For lack of a better word. It's possible that a couple of guys are going to come down here to get you. They're hunters, too. But don't drop my name."

"I won't," she promised, "Charlie…Lena…"

"Call me whatever you want."

"I'm so tired…" Christina only got worse, "I don't get saline for another hour…"

Footsteps clicked on the floor above us, "Christina, who's up there?"

"Ni…" she started nodding off.

"Christina," I begged, "Come on. Stay with me."

"Ni…" Yeah. I wasn't getting much more out of her.

All of a sudden, a bright light came from the top of the stairs. Let's see. Makeshift weapons. I'm sure they took my knife off me. My bag was in the corner. I'm hoping my blood was safe. The stuff in the pouch anyway. They didn't keep anything sharp down here. Dammit. So much for that. I could bust one of the glass bottles, but that wouldn't be sharp enough to cut off the head. It'd slow them down, though.

"Such a shame…" a familiar voice melted me to my core, "I honestly expected you to put up a fight. Instead, you just fell over."

"What can I say?" I scoffed, "I had promises of candy when I got in the van, but suddenly, you whine when I don't do what you tell me. I like candy, dammit."

"The sugar's bad for you," the man stepped into my field of view. The nuns warned me the devil would be pretty. Instead, I got Lucifer and Crowley. But then, there was Nikolai.

"I'm still waiting on a Snickers."

"Aww…" Nikolai looked toward Christina's limp, unconscious body, "Looks like Daddy's little girl wanted a nap. She's so cute when she's sleeping, don't you think?"

"Especially when you're draining her regularly," I glared through him, "How can you do something so screwed up?"

"Nature of the beast, my dear," he ran his finger down my jawline.

"Is that what you're going to do with me?" I asked, "Make me your blood bag?"

"My blood bag?" Nikolai gave me a look, "No, no, dear child. You're not going to be my blood bag."

Seth came walking down the stairs, looking at me like he wasn't sure if he wanted to set me free or eat me, "I'm sorry you had to find out this way, Charlie. But I didn't know how much longer you were going to be here."

"Of course," I rolled my eyes, "Who hasn't heard the time-honored tale of the guy she falls in love with either being gay, taken, both, or a vampire?"

"You…" Seth gasped, "You fell in love with me?"

"Well," I bit my lip, "Being a vampire kind of kills the mood."

"But Charlie," he got down to my level, "You're special."

"How do you figure?" I wondered, "You know my dad's going to be looking for me. He's not exactly a guy you want on your ass."

"I've only been turned for the past year," Seth sat me in his lap, "And I really want to turn you…"

"I don't think so," I shot him down.

"When we first met," he began, "I knew I wanted to turn you. I didn't want you to go anywhere."

"Trust me, sweetheart," I tried to wiggle out of his arms, "You don't want me."

"Yes, I do," Seth's embrace only tightened, "Please…Just let me turn you, Charlie. I can take care of you. And it can be you and me forever. What's so bad about that?"

Out of nowhere, I started getting dizzy…And cold…And withdrawal was setting in. But I had to stay strong, "N…No."

"What's wrong with her?" Nikolai wondered, noticing my sudden loss in energy.

"She's hypoglycemic," Seth got up and got the applesauce out of my bag, "See? I know how to take care of you."

"Then…" my breathing was more labored and my head started pounding, "How do you explain…the chains?"

"Here," he popped the top off my blood bag for me, "You need this. I can see it in your eyes. Your blood sugar's dipping, isn't it?"

"Yeah," I didn't hesitate. I wrapped my lips around the spout of the pouch and started downing blood like it was going out of style.

"Be sure to get all of it," Seth demanded, "Because as much as you're not going to like it, I'm going to have to feed soon. And in order to do that, I need you in better shape."

"Thank you," I finished up. With my first surge of energy, I could feel myself getting stronger again. Just enough to yank the chains off and push Seth away from me, "Thank you so much."

"Oh, my," Nikolai eyed me up, "You're not human either, are you, Charlotte?"

"No," I shook my head, "I'm human. Just a few extra perks. It's amazing what happens when you're rolling with the King these days."

"The King?" he wondered.

"Give me a sec," I got to my bag to grab my phone, holding both Seth and Nikolai down without even laying a finger on them. Let's see…C…C…C!

"Didn't go so well?" Crowley answered, "Do you need Daddy to come and get you?"

"No," I suppressed a gag, "Turns out my date wanted to feed on me instead."

"Lena," he groaned, "I don't need to hear about that."

"Not like that, you pervert," I rolled my eyes, "The coven. I found the coven. It's Seth. Seth's the one that took Christina. Seth's dad is the grand poohbah. Can you come here? I might need some help."

"What if I told you help was already there?" Crowley winced, "But it's not me?"

"Dammit!" I squeaked, "Why can't anything go right tonight?"

"The Impala's parked out front," he warned me, "They're staking the place out. I'm out back. Hurry up."

"Thanks for the heads up, Crowley," I shoved my phone in my pocket and grabbed my bag, "Well, boys. As much fun as it's been, I have to run."

"What are you?" Seth asked.

"A little girl with a blood problem," I thought it over, "In a way, I'm just like you, so you wouldn't have to turn me. Only difference is I'm a hell of a lot stronger."

"You're full of demon blood," Nikolai sniffed me out, "Aren't you?"

"Yep," I took my big ass knife out of my bag, "Now, Seth…"

"Yeah?" Seth's big, brown eyes started sparkling. I couldn't handle that. That's like Sam's eyes.

"I really did like you," I gave him one last kiss, "So I'm going to do you a favor."

"You'll let me go?" he hoped.

"Not exactly," I spun my knife around, "How attached are you to Nikolai?"

"He's still my dad," Seth's voice broke, "Why?"

"Turn your head," I demanded, "Trust me. It's for your own good."

"Ok…" he did as he was told and I put my headphones in his ears, "What's this for?"

"Like I said," I turned on one song, "Trust me."

"Ok," a lone tear streamed down his face, "Blackbird, huh?"

"It won't be long," I clicked the volume up a few notches.

"It's sweet, you know," Nikolai awed, "The way you look out for him."

"We'll say it's a common courtesy," I brushed him off, holding my blade to his neck, "Any last words?"

"It's good to see you're the same manner of monster as us," he smirked, "Truly a shame. Adding vampire abilities to a lovely young lady with demon blood coursing through her body would be quite the hybrid."

"Tempting…" I admitted, "But…"

WHACK!

And heads will roll. It's amazing when I can kill a vamp and have no remorse. Nikolai kind of gave me weird vibes to begin with. The fact that he was a vampire made it all the easier. Especially when poor little Christina had to pay the price. Let's see if I can do that vampire killing thing twice. Sorry, Seth. I wish you didn't find out this way. I pulled the headphones out of his ears.

"What happened?" he asked, "Why did you tell me to look away?"

"I'm so sorry, Seth," I held my blade to him, "I can't let you go on."

"Wait!" Seth quivered, "What if I don't kill anyone? What if I just keep Christina around? She's been like the younger sister I never had since before I was turned. I was going to turn her, but I never got the chance. Dad said we couldn't risk a newborn."

"Yet you weren't going to hesitate to turn me," I pointed out.

"I wanted to turn you in secret."

"I liked you, Seth," I prepared myself, "Any last words?"

"I love you, Charlie MacLoud," his eyes swelled, "If you're going to do it, please be quick."

"Balls…" I grumbled under my breath, "Hold on. I'm going to give you one last thing. You're dying anyway."

"What?"

I ran my blade over my arm and dripped some of my blood into one of the empty bottles littered around here, "You wanted to know what it tasted like so bad that you drugged me and threw me in your basement. You need to know if I lived up to the hype."

"But…" Seth stared into the bottle, "It's better when it's…You know…Still fresh."

"I know," I agreed, "But this is as good as it's going to get. You're not sinking your fangs into me."

"I'm sorry," he took the bottle, "I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

"Drink up," I insisted, "I'm actually curious. What does my blood taste like to you?"

Seth took a healthy swallow from the bottle and smiled, "Like good whiskey and sunshine."

WHACK!

I really am sorry, Seth. I wish things would've turned out better between us. Now, I needed to get the hell out of here without freaking out his sisters. I laid my knife in Christina's hand while she laid there, sleeping soundly. Hopefully, when she wakes up, she'll think she blacked out and killed the vampires holding her against her will and feeding off her blood. The basement had outside access, but I had no clue where it emptied out. Somewhere on the side. No doubt, Sam and Dean were keeping a close eye on the place, so I'll have to be careful.

Gently, I lifted up the door and peeked out of the crack. Better yet, back of the house! Awesome! Sure enough, Crowley had the engine running in the alley. Thank God. I never thought I'd be so thankful to see his face. But then, everything that happened back there got me thinking. With the demon blood cravings getting closer and closer together, am I getting stronger? I've never been able to blast vampires like that. That'd be cool. A shame I didn't hold onto some of that venom. Nikolai may have been a crazy son of a bitch, but he had a point. A human/demon/vampire hybrid sounded pretty badass to me. But I digress.

"Hello, sweetheart," Crowley pulled out of the alley, "How was your date?"

"Bloody," I took my tank top off, keeping on the one underneath, "Did you think to pack the car?"

"Yes, I did," he nodded, "Why? Wanting to get out of town so soon?"

"As soon as humanly possible," I kicked the seat back, "That was exhausting. I'm taking a nap. Wake me when we get somewhere."

"Ok…" Crowley walked on eggshells, "Where are we going?"

"I don't care," I shut my eyes, "Wake me when we get somewhere warm."

 **A/N: Holy hell, I didn't expect this chapter to be so long. But expect the next one to be a doozy, too. Because some of the shit I got coming up is going to be pretty intense. But I hated doing that to Seth. He was so sweet and so lovable and such a genuinely good soul. Buuuuuuuuuuut…When someone said that Rachael (remember that bitch, Rachael that was kind of annoying?) was a vampire, I thought, what would be even worse? Give Lena a little bit of hope and then, yank it away like the asshole I am. So, in a way, Crowley had every right to be the overly protective parent here. It's not every day your baby comes home and says I'm going on a date with a vamp. We also had a close call with the boys here, too. Will they find out about Lena? Will they not find out about Lena? And where is this banana going? We'll find out soon enough, won't we? See you next chapter! xx**


	15. Dance With the Devil

Fever...Chills...Damn. Withdrawal already? I woke up in the passenger seat of my Mustang, ready to come unglued. Things were so bad that I could hardly formulate a comprehensible sentence, "Cr...Crow...Ley..."

"Good morning, sunshine," he reached over, cradling my face in the palm of his hand, "Not feeling well, are we?"

"Please," I shivered. At this point, I'd rather be thrown from an overpass into rush hour traffic, "I..."

"Shh..." Crowley settled me ,"Don't overexert yourself, darling. I'll get you some shortly."

"Now," I demanded, feeling the throbbing ache spread throughout my body.

"Alright," the fuzzy outline of his arm reached back into the cooler behind my seat, "Here. Drink."

Putting blood in the squeeze pouches was probably the smartest idea we've ever had. I could've very easily downed half a dozen of them, but for now, all I needed was the one. A little bit to give me the nice, warm buzz I felt all the way to my toes. I started to come back around, "Thank you..."

"How are you feeling, Lena?" Crowley worried, "You're paler than a ghost."

"That's my usual complexion, you dick," my vision started to come back.

"I know your usual lack of pigmentation," he rolled his eyes, "A color that would suggest you're terrified of the sun or you lived underground. This is different. Are you sure you're feeling ok?"

"Getting there," I grabbed another pouch out of the cooler, "I'll be fine."

"Lena," he took my hand, "I know you tend to run away from your emotions, but you did just go through a sort of break up."

"Oh, God," I groaned, "No. We're not doing that. Besides, I cut off his dad's head and then, I cut his head off. I think I'm over it. Do we have any whiskey left?"

"No," Crowley got off on the exit, "I wonder what you'd be like if you were a normal girl."

"I'd be boring," I shook him off, curling up in my seat, "End of story. Where are we, by the way?"

"Almost Nebraska," he guessed, "You told me to wake you once we were somewhere warm. We're getting there, but not quite. I was thinking Mexico."

"Mexico sounds nice," I agreed, "My Spanish is rudementary, but it's enough to carry on a conversation."

"Why don't you go back to sleep, ok?" Crowley insisted, "You need to get some rest."

"Fine," I turned the heat up a couple clicks and shut my eyes. Maybe Gabriel was onto something about kicking my feet up on the beach. Beautiful people, a constant stream of drinks. Ever since I started doing demon blood, it takes me a hell of a lot more booze to even get drunk. I couldn't wait to get to Mexico. But for now, a nap sounded better. It's been a long, exhausting case in Sioux Falls. Although the blood was making an incredible painkiller, I still needed sleep.

"Lena," I woke up a few hours later. The sun was starting to set again and I wasn't in the car, "Lena, wake up."

"I know damn well we're not in Mexico," I groaned, "Where are we?"

"We stopped off and got a hotel," Crowley had an arm around me, "How are you feeling?"

"Thirsty," I laid in his shoulder, "You think you could hook a sister up?"

"I'm so sorry, dear," he shot me down, "But no."

"Excuse me?" my eyes shot open. If looks could kill, Crowley's brains would've just repainted the room, "Why not?"

"I can't," Crowley winced, preparing for me to dropkick him in the jaw, "Ever since you and I have begun our journey together, Lena, you've drained a lot of blood from me. I never could find another demon for you. No one would volunteer for the job once they realized how much you'd be taking. Any average demon and you would've been through a dozen or so by now. I need some time to replenish the stock, so to speak."

"Dammit," I pouted, "What about just to tide me over? Can't we find some random demon for that?"

"You'll be alright," he assured, holding me a little tighter, "I promise. Sleep will help. You won't use nearly as much energy and it'll make the blood last longer in your system."

"Ok," I feel like I've slept more in the past day or two than what one person should. That might also be the withdrawal kicking my ass. Understandable. Hopefully, by the time we get to Mexico, I'll be able to chug enough demon blood to the point where I'll smell colors. I'm sure Crowley will be more up for it by then. At least I sure as hell hope so.

The next time I woke up, I was on a different bed. This wasn't the last hotel we crashed in. How long have I been out of it? Now, things were getting bad. If I didn't get any blood in me in the next five minutes, it will not be pretty for anyone within a ten mile radius. Either blood, a drink, or a cigarette. Any of the three would do, but right now, blood was the preference.

"There you are," Crowley greeted me as my eyes slowly opened. Not that I could see him very well. My vision was damn near black, "Good morning, Lena."

"Where..." my voice shook, "Are...We...?"

"Somewhere safe," he held me, "A new hotel. How are you feeling?"

"Seize-y," I curled into him, "I...I need..."

"I know," Crowley cradled me, "I know. But I'm sorry. I can't give you what you want."

"Why?" I snapped.

"Because," a deep, familiar voice spoke. Son of a bitch, "We said so."

Crap. Because on top of blood withdrawal, let's throw THEM on top of it, "Dammit...This isn't…How I thought this…Would go."

"Hi, Lena," another joined us, "Or should we call you Elizabeth, Lizzie, Charlotte...?"

"Is it just you two," I asked, heavily out of breath, "Or is...?"

"It's just us," Dean assured, "I'm not sure if I should kill you or hold onto you and never let you go."

"If it's...Just going to be...Lecture," I fell into my bed, "Could we...skip the...foreplay?"

"Have her eyes changed?" Sam asked.

"Not that I've seen," Crowley thought, "But who knows what I've missed behind closed doors?"

"Lena," Dean sat with me, "Why? Why did you do it?"

"You'd think you would've heard enough precautionary tales to say no," Sam added.

"In my..." I only got dizzier and talking got harder, "Defense...I didn't...Know I was...Getting it...At first...Crowley...Drugged me."

"We'll deal with him later," Dean took me out of Crowley's embrace, "For now, let's take care of you, ok?"

"Do you guys..." I wondered, "Have any...more..."

"No," Sam put his foot down, "You're not getting any more blood, Lena."

"You're..." I growled, "Scared of me...Because I'm...Stronger than you...I could...Take out...The great Winchester brothers...In one...Fell...Swoop...And that...Scares the hell out of you..."

"Lena..." That one was different. Cas, I'm guessing. He never was too far from the boys, "The demon blood is giving you strength, yes, but you don't need that. It's also chipping away at your humanity and your soul. If your soul burns out..."

"Then, I burn out," I figured, "Or...I become...A demon...Right?"

"Trust me, Lena," Dean hugged me tighter, "You don't want that."

"So..." I thought it over, "You're saying...I shouldn't have...That kind...Of power..."

"You weren't meant to have that kind of power," Cas went on, "Humans should not have that kind of power. Their bodies can't handle it."

"Mine can," I promised, "It's...Handled...Angel grace...Archangel...At that..."

"Not very well," he remembered, "Demon blood is worse."

"Give...me...some...now."

"No."

"Cas...Told you..." I assumed, "Where...I was...Didn't he? Right...After...Philadelphia."

"What?" Sam perked up.

"You met with Lena?" Dean wondered, sounding kind of heartbroken, "You knew where Lena was and you didn't tell us?"

"You two were busy with a case," Cas defended himself, "So I..."

"You saw Lena," Dean lost the heartache and got angry, "And you didn't bother telling us? You found Lena, the same Lena we've been searching our asses off for the last year and a half and you couldn't bother to tell us?"

"Dean..."

"No," he put me back down on the bed, "You found our sister and couldn't be bothered to tell us?! What the hell, Cas?!"

Ooh…Trouble in paradise…Did I do that? I had no idea Cas wouldn't have told them about me. Let's see how far I can push this, "Two…weeks…ago…I was…In Philadelphia."

"TWO WEEKS AGO?" Dean was good and pissed. I shouldn't be delighting in this, but…Well…He was keeping my blood from me. We'll chalk this up to karma.

Even in my weakened state, I yanked on Crowley's jacket sleeve, "What is it, Lena? Are you alright?"

I bit down on a scabbed over cut on his arm and got a little bit of blood in me. Just enough to get my strength back up…Or a little extra for recompense…And maybe a bit more to make him go sleepy-by. Without another thought, I jumped out of bed, "I don't need you anymore."

"Lena," Sam grabbed me, "You're in no shape to get up."

"Am I?" I threw him across the room, not even touching him, "I think I'm in pretty damn good shape. Look, boys. I love you both. You're the brothers I never had. Really, you are. But I was told I was on a nonstop party train and quite frankly, I'm not ready for it to stop quite yet. What has you two so dead set against me having a little fun?"

"We don't want to see you become a monster," Dean argued, "This is beyond you having fun, Lena. Going to Disneyland is fun. Going to the strip club is fun. Our night drives are fun. What you're doing is wrong."

"You act like I killed anyone," I scoffed, "The only ones I've killed all juiced up like this were Nikolai and Seth."

"Who the hell are they?"

"Those vampires you two were after in Sioux Falls," I pointed out, "We actually met on the corner, but neither of you realized it was me. Hiding my face was a smart idea on my part, but I actually got close to the younger one you found in the basement. And the girl, too. Could you imagine if he actually got what he wanted?"

"What did he want?" Sam worried.

"Me," I smirked, "He wanted to turn me, but he also didn't know I had another kind of blood in me. Imagine me a human/vamp/demon hybrid. I'd be unstoppable. I'm also kind of tempted to go back and steal the Rolls Royce in the garage."

"Lena," Cas tried getting between us now, "Please. Let us help you."

I thought on it for a minute or two. Help me, huh? Interesting, "There's nothing to help me with. There is no problem. You three are just bitter because I won't be your damsel in distress anymore. Now that I have the capabilities to take care of myself, you don't have any purpose anymore. But on the plus side, you don't have me as a burden anymore either. Later, boys. And please. Don't come running after me."

I left the hotel room and jumped in the Mustang. Looks like I'm going to have to dump my car again. That sucks. Oh, well. I can leave her around Lawrence since, by the looks of things, that's where we are. Poetic justice, huh, Crowley? Bring me back to the boys in their hometown just as we leave a case from mine. It's too bad I dropped him like that. He did betray me, though, by taking me to Sam and Dean. Not to mention, how many times he's brought me close to them without warning.

Still, I'm going to miss that crazy son of a bitch. He was fun while we lasted. Now, for the suck part. I needed to score some demon blood. I won't last much longer on what I've got left in the back seat. I only had half a dozen pouches of Crowley's left. Then again, I had one hell of an idea. I'm sure there are some demons that aren't exactly Crowley's biggest fans and would be more than happy to sacrifice themselves for me. Especially one in particular. I drove a few towns over and shut myself off in the middle of the woods where no one would think to find me. Rumor has it, there used to be roads that ran through these woods. Any crossroads would do, right?

"Hi, Lena," a familiar voice spoke, "Long time, no see. Not since your run-in with Lucifer."

I couldn't hold back a grin if I wanted to. Granted, I'm sure he won't regenerate his blood as quick as Crowley did, but he'll do for the time being, "Hi, Xander."

 **A/N: Oh, how I could go on. But I won't. Because I'm an asshole and a sucker for a cliffhanger. I also have the Dramatical Murder OVA paused and I really want to get back to my yaoi. But Lena had a short-lived reunion with Sam and Dean this chapter. She also got royally screwed over by Crowley, who brought her to them in the first place. And Lena's gotten herself a new friend. Well…Technically an old friend. You guys remember in "A Family Forged in Fire" when they were investigating the ghost in Illinois and that one demon tried claiming the bounty for Lena? Guess who….? That's right! Xander! Yay! He thought Lena was cute, so here we are. Of course he's going to be there. Things aren't exactly…doing well right now. Depending on which side you're on. Welcome to the gray area! Now, I'm going to go back to my cartoons. See you next chapter! xx**


	16. Runnin' With the Devil

Back to being on the run again. I really wish things with the boys would've went down a whole hell of a lot better. Because deep down, I really do love them and I'm grateful for everything they've done for me. They just don't understand the kind of power I have or what I can do with it. The amount of monsters I could take out at one time. I could probably handle every monster problem across the country in an afternoon out of boredom. So what if I bleed a few demons dry in the process? What's so bad about that? It's another monster I've wiped out.

I get that they're worried I'll lose control, but I'm pretty sure I have a good lid on it. It's not like I'm going out every morning, leveling a town, and I'm out by dusk. I know they've let monsters go before. And I'm not a monster. I'm their sister. They should know better. Then again, I'm sure they think I should know better than to be chugging demon blood, too. But still...They don't understand.

Nevertheless, I didn't have to be alone through this. I had Xander with me, too. First things first, we needed a ride. I love my Mustang, but it's a bit too conspicuous. And it pained me to leave her behind. Xander and I started walking toward a junkyard just on the outskirts of Lawrence and did some car shopping. Anything that didn't look completely destroyed with a decent engine in it would do.

Unfortunately, the only thing that fit the criteria was a powder blue '76 Pinto. I deserve so much better than a freakin' Pinto. Right now, beggars can't be choosers, though. Looks like the piece of crap Pinto will have to do. I mean, it looks like hell, but hopefully, it'll run. It looked relatively salvageable. That's just my luck, isn't it? It is pretty inconspicuous.

A little rub of some wires...A couple jumps to the engine...Engine stalls...Come on. Start for me. Lena needs to get the hell out of dodge and she can't do that without you. I can't believe I'm putting the fate of my future in a damn Pinto. I had a beautiful, classic Mustang, pure American muscle...And I have to swap my baby out for a Pinto. oh, how the mighty have fallen. I've never been so physically disgusted. Come on, you son of a bitch. Start!

The little engine in this Pinto definitely could. It let out a loud roar that one would never expect from a Pinto. Not bad. Color me impressed. Someone must have, for lack of a better word, restored this at one time and swapped the engine out for something bigger, better, and meatier. Probably someone's weekend race car. Little on the outside, angry on the inside, and often underestimated. This little Pinto and me had a lot in common.

"Alright, Xander," I drove up to the gate, "Get in."

"Really?" he looked the car over, "That's our ride? I'd expect better from a Winchester."

"I wish I could do better," I grumbled, "She might not look like much, but she's got it where it counts. We just need something to get us from point A to point B."

"Where's point B?" Xander asked, putting his seatbelt on.

"I don't know," I thought it over, "I could use some more demons."

"What?" he whined, "I'm not enough?"

"For now, you are," I assured him, "But unless you're willing to give up every ounce of your bodily fluids, getting more demons would probably be in our best interest."

"Fine," Xander let it go, "How do you plan on getting them? Mass summoning?"

"No," I shook my head, "If you're hungry, you go to the grocery store, right?"

"Right."

"In that case," I smiled, "Why not get a few demons directly from the source?"

Xander started putting the pieces together in his head, "Are you saying we actually go to Hell?"

"Rumor has it," I remembered, "There are gateways to Hell on Earth. Do you happen to know where one is?"

"Those rumors are true," he confirmed, "The nearest one to here is in Wyoming."

"Wyoming?" I whined, "That's nine hours north!"

"So, it's a day's drive," Xander put his hand on my thigh, trying to offer me a little bit of comfort, "We can do it. I'm sure if we drive through the night, we'll be there by morning. If it's too much for you, we can stop in Denver. There's a really good pizza place there. A reaper told me about it once. He said that it's got the second-best pizza he's ever had."

"Where's the fir..." I stopped myself, knowing the answer to my own question, "Chicago. Probably Chicago."

"He was supposed to reap the owner of a place in Chicago," he told me, "But he kept him alive because he liked the deep dish there."

"Seriously?" I giggled, "Wouldn't the top dog of all reapers get pissed about something like that?"

"When he is the top dog of all reapers," Xander clarified, "I don't think so."

I had heard about Death before. Dean always told me he was a sucker for anything deep fried and Chicago's deep dish kept him from wiping the city off the map once. Neat. A reaper after my own heart. Probably literally a time or two. Speaking of food, "Hey, Xander..."

"What?"

"I need you to do a girl a solid," I bit my lip, pulling into a Gas 'N Sip parking lot, "And it's a big solid."

"Lena," he assured, "I'd do anything for you. What do you need?"

"First of all," I ordered, trying to steady my shaking hands, "Go inside and score me a bottle of booze. I don't care what. When we're somewhere more permanent, I have all intentions of getting hammered, so the higher the proof, the better. I'll tell you the rest when you come back."

"Anything else?" Xander got out of the car.

"And a pack of cigarettes," I was empty and between the booze and the nicotine, it'll make the other thing last a bit longer, "Marlboro Lights. Please."

"I'll be right back," he left me to white knuckle through withdrawal on my own. I could do this. I could do this. I could do this. I could do this. I'll be fine.

My phone started buzzing in the cup holder. A text from Crowley asking me where I was. I'm sure it's not going to be the first one like that, but I ignored it. Some of his blood would've been a life saver right now, but I had to wait for Xander to get back. Then, I could go back to kicking ass like nobody's business again. Demon blood and I got along famously. The power that surged through my body after a good, long hit of it...Suddenly, a very good (or very bad, depending on how a person looks at it) idea popped into my head.

When I'm jacked on demon blood, my power was ridiculous. I could kill someone without even touching them. I've blown up demons from a distance. And with Crowley up here under the very watchful eye of my brothers and Lucifer dead as a doornail, what's stopping me from doing something a little naughtier than juicing with demon blood? Why stop there? Lucifer always said he wanted to rule high while I ruled low.

"That's my girl," a voice echoed in my head, "Daddy's proud of you, Lena. Not too proud of your vehicle choice, but everything else..."

"What the hell?" I jumped, looking into the passenger seat of the Pinto at a grinning angel, giving me a passive little wave, "No. I killed you."

"I can overlook that for now," Lucifer brushed me off, "Besides, I'm in your head. You're the only one that can see me, princess. It's just the two of us. Looks like that withdrawal fever's a little higher than it usually is. Making you see things."

"You're not real," I tried shaking him out, "You're not here."

His hand stretched out and he poked my nose, "Boop! I'm very much here and I'm very real. You know what would top off your cocktail of demon blood perfectly? A little bit of angel grace. Imagine what that high would be like."

I remembered what it felt like to have angel grace in my body. It burned everywhere. Not quite the hug I felt like demon blood, but the pure energy...Kicking ass and taking names wasn't exactly difficult then. Clearly, it was enough to take down Lucifer. At least I thought it was. He's still not here. This is the withdrawal screwing with my head or some twisted karma. I did not have Lucifer riding shotgun in my piece of crap Pinto.

"No," I kept it together with bubble gum and paper clips as best as I could.

"Oh, yeah," he egged me on, "Angel grace. Demon blood. The best of Heaven and Hell. Now, where could you get an angel on short notice? I mean, the best would probably be an archangel, but it's not like you know any of them, right, Lena?"

I did. And he knew damn well I did. But I couldn't do that to him, "Can't say that I do."

"I can tell you where he is," Lucifer insisted, "No strings. Except for a little, itty bitty one."

I could find my archangel on my own, but I wasn't tapping his grace. Although, Lucifer had me curious, "What's the string?"

"That's my girl," he praised, "Don't get me wrong. Crowley's great. He's a hell of a salesman, but he's nowhere near good enough for upper management. I think you got a shot of taking over the family business, kiddo. Do that for me and I can tell you where my brother is."

Was he saying what I think he's saying? Me, ruling Hell? Lucifer had a point. Right now, I had a lot of untapped power going on. And if I added some angel grace on top of that, I'd go off like a Roman candle. But I'm not draining my archangel. Not Gabriel, "No."

"No, what?" Xander sat back down in the passenger seat with a bag in one hand and taquitos in the other, "I got you whiskey. I hope that's ok."

"That's fantastic," I came to again, "Thank you, Xander."

"Now, what was the other thing you wanted?" he asked.

"Well," I winced.

"Go on, Lena," Lucifer nudged me along from the backseat, "Ask him what you want. You know what you want."

"I…" my shaking was only getting worse. I had no other choice, "I need you to open your wrist up."

"My wrist?" Xander gave me a look, "What do you mean?"

"I've been drinking a lot of demon blood lately," I filled him in, "And I need some more."

"Sure," he looked around for my bag, "Where's your knife? I know you have one."

"It's back here," Lucifer whispered, "See? It's really a pretty knife. Didn't Dean give you this knife?"

"Here," I reached back, resisting the urge to wrap my hand around Lucifer's nonexistent neck. Once I get some blood in me, he'll be out of my head, right? I gave my knife to Xander, "Do you know what to do?"

"Yeah," Xander nodded, running the blade over his arm. Once he broke the skin, I took his arm and started going to town. While I was getting the warm hug demon blood gave me, Xander even started shaking, "Alright. Slow down there, tiger. How long have you gone without it?"

"It's been a while," I took a breath, "Are you ok?"

"Aww…" Lucifer gushed, "You like him, don't you?"

"Shut up!" I snapped.

"What the hell did I do?" Xander jumped.

"No," I came down, "I'm sorry. Don't worry about it. Give."

I took his arm back whether he wanted me to or not and got back to sucking down more blood. All while Lucifer was cheering me on from the sidelines. I tried tuning him out, humming something to myself. Anything that would drown out Lucifer's incessance. But I felt so much better. It wasn't the same potency as Crowley's, but it'll do for the time being.

"There," Xander swayed a bit in his seat, "Are you done?"

"Yeah," I wiped my mouth, "I'm so much better."

"Alright then," he rubbed his eyes, "Where to now?"

"We're taking a little trip," I smiled, "We're going to Wyoming."

"Awesome," Xander sighed out, "What for?"

"With Crowley distracted and looking for me," I decided, "I think it's time for a regime change. Would you be my right-hand man, Xander?"

"For…?"

"I don't know if you know this," I pulled out of the Gas 'N Sip, "But I look pretty damn cute in a crown."

That caught his attention, "Are you suggesting…We take over Hell?"

"I take over Hell," I clarified, "You'd be more or less a second in command."

"Alright," Xander nodded, "And we won't have Crowley to deal with?"

"He wouldn't dare hurt me," I assured, "Sam and Dean wouldn't allow that. Not to mention, Crowley absolutely, without a doubt, _adores_ me. It's to the point where his name in my phone was Daddy. And he's the one that made it that way."

"Yikes…" Lucifer chimed from the backseat.

"You're telling me…" I agreed.

"What do you mean?" Xander gave me a look. Dammit. I keep forgetting he can't see Lucifer haunting me.

"Nothing," I brushed him off, "So? You, me, and Hell? Sound like a plan."

"Sounds like a plan."

Awesome! I never would've thought ruling Hell would've been in my future, but it looks like it. Neat!

 **A/N: Welp. That happened. Lena's going to run Hell. Lucifer's being the actual little devil on her shoulder. Sam and Dean are pissed off at her. And she's back on the blood again! Yay! I liked this chapter. I like seeing Lena's mental state slip a little bit. As sadistic as that sounds. We're blurring the lines here, friends. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to try and keep myself awake for a little while longer, maybe get some other things done, probably hang around here for a bit longer. See you next chapter! xx**


	17. Kings and Queens

After a few hours of driving, my legs were starting to cramp up. Not to mention, girlfriend needed a fix. Between the loud music I used to block out Lucifer and my withdrawal, my head was killing me. Once I start seeing two of everything, I figure it's time for little girls hooked on demon blood to enjoy a pint or so. Just enough to take the edge off and the withdrawal from screwing me over.

"Xander," I pulled into a gas station parking lot just outside of Denver, "Roll your sleeve up."

"Ok," he obliged, "That's what I liked about Xander. He gave me everything Crowley did. Blind admiration, demon blood, protection from other demons. The only difference was Xander, bless his heart, was too dumb to try anything. That came along with blind admiration, though.

As if we've rehearsed it a thousand times before, Xander pulled up his sleeve and ran a blade over his arm. Hello, breakfast. I latched onto his arm and swallowed down mouthful after mouthful of warm, sweet, metallic blood. Damn, Xander. I knew I kept you around for a reason. I needed more. The rush started kicking in and my vision went back to normal, even working its way to superhuman.

"Easy, Tex..." Lucifer jabbed, "You might want to slow down. Save some for the rest of the class."

Maybe if I ignore him, he'll go away. I kept feeding on Xander's wrist, growing more and more content with every gulp. The warmth spread through my body like wildfire. Xander's blood, along with the trace remains of Crowley's blood still lingering in my system burned through my veins in the best way. Mmm...

"Lena..." Xander groaned deliriously. I glanced over at his graying fingertips. Oops. Lucifer was right. I guess I was taking a bit too much. I pulled his arm out of my mouth.

"Sorry," I winced, "I got a little carried away, didn't I?"

"I'd say so," Lucifer gasped, "Damn, Lena. Any more out of him and you would've bled him dry. It would've killed him."

"Happy to do it," Xander caught his breath, "Are you alright now?"

"Yeah," I wiped my mouth off, getting the stray blood off my fingers, "Thank you, Xander. And again, I'm sorry about damn near draining you completely."

"It's fine," he assured, giving me a little smile, "Anything for my new queen."

"Aww..." Lucifer gushed, "That's so cute!"

"Hey," I brushed him off, "You think we could get a hotel? I'm kind of tired and you could probably stand to rest up, too."

"Yeah," Xander nodded weakly, laying his head on the passenger window, "That sounds like a good idea."

"I've been really trying, baby..." Lucifer started singing.

"I'll be right back," I got out of the car, "I'm going to do a quick milk run. You want anything?"

"Trying to hold back this feeling..."

"Water," Xander requested, "Please."

"For sooooo long..."

"Ok," I shut the door and started walking toward the door, "Lucifer, you're such a dick."

"I'm a dick with a heart of gold, though," he grinned, walking alongside me, "Right?"

"I'm not so sure about that," I took a quick look around the store, searching for their drink coolers. A bottle of water for Xander. Ideally, a bottle of Jack for me, but I'm driving, so apple juice, it is. And a bottle of Gatorade for Xander, too. That boy just lost a lot of blood, so the electrolytes can't hurt.

"Hey, Lena," Lucifer called over to me, "Come here."

"What?" I rolled my eyes, getting some strange looks from the others in this cozy convenience store.

"First of all," he suggested, "You might want to keep your voice down. Just because you can see me doesn't mean everyone else can. I'm in your head, princess."

"What did you want?" I whispered.

"Remember when you were fighting vamps in Sioux Falls?" Before I could even say something, Lucifer cut me off, "Yes, yes. I was watching you. Big deal. I know. You humans always say you want an angel on your shoulder looking out for you, but when one actually does..."

"Lucifer!" I snarled, still making it a point to keep my voice down, "Get on with it."

"Your little friend...Cassidy...Cassandra...Somewhere in that ballpark..."

"Christina," I clarified, "What about her?"

"That's what it was!" he chirped, "Now, what did the patriarch of that nest give her to make sure her blood was perfectly seasoned? She ate disgustingly healthy. Anything to keep her blood nice and pure."

I looked at the shelf in front of me at a small assortment of vitamins. Lucifer, I hated to admit this, but you were a mad genius. Or maybe, because he was in my head, I was the mad genius? Whatever I had to tell myself to sleep at night. Nikolai did have Christina juiced up on iron supplements, though. Christina had to take maybe two of those every day. How many would I have to give to a demon? How does that conversion work?

I grabbed a couple bottles of iron supplements to start with. We can adjust the dosage from there. Alright. I had the milk, the eggs, and the bread. We were ready to pack it in for the night. And dammit, Crowley had me spoiled. I don't think I'd ever be able to slum it in a motel again. Xander and I got a relatively nicer hotel room and I put him to bed with his water and his iron tablets.

"Hey, Lena," Xander laid on my hip.

"What?" I pushed his dark, curly hair out of his face. This poor baby was starting to sweat a bit, but he didn't want to let me go.

"Thank you," he cuddled into me.

"He likes you..." Lucifer awed.

"For what?" I wondered, "I damn near killed you."

"I'm just an incubus demon down there," Xander sighed out, "Up here, I'm taking care of the future ruler of Hell. As far as I'm concerned, the current leader of Hell. We've been doubting Crowley's integrity for years. He says we have more integrity than the brokers on Wall Street, but any time the Winchesters say jump, he'll always be there to ask how high."

"Not necessarily," I defended him, "When he and I were hanging around together, we were getting wasted in a Hostess factory."

"Mmmm..." Lucifer hummed out, "I do love me a good Twinkie. Can't go wrong. And Zingers, too. When the mood's right."

"You and Crowley?" Xander chuckled, "What were you doing in a Hostess factory?"

"I wanted a Twinkie," I shrugged, "So, we broke into a Hostess factory in Maryland and he got a call from Sam asking about me. And Crowley sided with me for a change. He promised me that he'd keep me out of the boys' reach as long as I needed."

"But didn't Crowley hand deliver you to them?"

"That's right," Lucifer added, "Might as well have put a bow on your head and everything. Maybe on a silver platter with an apple in your mouth."

"That was my mistake," I grumbled, "I shouldn't have trusted him. I will admit, though. I won't ever forget the Hostess factory. That was a fun night."

"Hopefully," Xander thought, "We can have better nights."

"Why don't you get some sleep?" I insisted, "We can leave early tomorrow morning. It's only another, what, four hours to Wyoming?"

"What?" Lucifer pouted, "No more bedtime stories? The riveting adventures of Lena and Crowley? Granted, I've seen them all before, but it's nice to get a fresh perspective."

"About that," Xander figured.

"Get some sleep," I left him in his bed and crawled into my own.

"And not even a little bit of spooning?" Lucifer whined, "Come on, Lena. Throw the guy a bone."

"I don't want to hear any more from you," I glared at the dresser.

"Lena," Xander worried, "Are you alright? Upstairs?"

"Yeah, Lena," Lucifer asked, sitting at the edge of my bed, "Are you alright? Upstairs? He's asking if you're losing your marbles, Lena!"

"Thank you!" I growled, "I realize this!"

"You're scaring me," Xander wobbled over to my bed, looking like his knees were about to give out, "Talk to me, Lena. What's going on?"

"Tell him," Lucifer demanded, "Tell him you got good old Uncle Luci in your head, making you his favorite plaything. I mean, I do need to get a little bit of something for you turning on me...killing me...Or did you get me killed? I can't really remember."

"Lucifer's in my head," I confessed, "He has been for the last couple days. Ever since I left Sam and Dean and summoned you. He thinks he's really funny."

"I am!" he squeaked, "Ouch, Lena. That was hurtful."

"Lucifer?" Xander gasped, "Like..."

"Dark lord of all evil, Satan himself, textbook, copywritten daddy issues abound, Lucifer," I confirmed.

"Excuse me? Who are your brothers again?" Lucifer scoffed, "You want copywritten daddy issues?"

"He's driving me nuts," I rolled my eyes, "He's like a bad roommate I can't get rid of that eats all your food and skips out on their half of the rent."

"You live in your head rent free," he pointed out, "I can have your lawyers call my lawyers."

"Is it bad?" Xander asked, helping me keep my focus.

"It's not pleasant," I squirmed, "That's for damn sure."

"You know you love me," Lucifer smirked, "It's impossible not to. I'm me! Not my fault that Dad's PR team was better than mine."

"You know, Lena," Xander pulled me to his chest, "Do you remember what kind of demon I am?"

"No," I shook my head, "Sorry."

"Psst..." Lucifer whispered, "I know this one."

"I'm an incubus demon," Xander cradled me, "And what an incubus demon does is essentially be the embodiment of lust. We seduce our prey before we attack. But you know I'd never hurt you. Intentionally. When there isn't a massive bounty out for you."

"Water under the bridge, Xander," I laid my head in his shoulder, "Where are you going with this?"

"All...The...Way!"

"I'm not saying I'm going to seduce you," he explained, "What I can do, though, is put your head in a gentle space for a while. Just enough to get you to sleep. It's kind of like what roofies do, but without being roofies. It's like getting you high. Think of it like being on morphine. You feel all warm and tingly inside so much that you're distracted by the miserable pain you're in. Do you want me to do that for you? Just something to shut Lucifer up?"

"Xander, Xander, Xander..." Lucifer groaned, "I never knew you felt so strongly about me. I remember this little punk when he first arrived in Hell. He wasn't much. Kind of gangly. A little weird. He's grown a pair since then, hasn't he? It's cute. I'm proud of him. We can chalk that up to personal growth."

"Please," I begged, "The sooner, the better. I want to be so high, I'm touching the moon."

"Alright," Xander took my face between his hands, gently kissing my lips, "I promise you won't get hooked on this like you did the demon blood. This will just keep Lucifer out of your head."

"Thank you," I took one more kiss from him. And another...And another...And he says I can't get hooked on them. I could do that for a while longer.

"Should I cover my eyes for this?" Lucifer cringed, "Is it about to get X-rated?"

I didn't even care what Lucifer had to say anymore. Xander lulled me into the most beautiful, lethargic state. That felt more amazing than the demon blood. I needed another demon around. Xander could do this for a little while longer. Maybe I should have my own army of incubus demons just for this purpose. Once I get to Hell, I think I'll have to summon all of them to the throne room once or twice a week.

Here I was trying to take care of Xander after damn near bleeding him dry. And now, he's taking care of me. I don't know why he did the things he did for me, but I'm not complaining. Although, I'm curious as to how long Lucifer was going to stay away. Any break was good enough for me. I didn't want to deal with Lucifer at all, let alone his random quips. He's exhausting.

When I woke up, I still felt like I was floating. Then again, it could also be the heated blanket that Xander was. Not in a bad way, though. This was kind of nice. And the only thing that could make this any better was a good, strong drink. I needed whiskey anyway. Whiskey sounded good. Whiskey fixed all of life's little problems.

"Hey," Xander slowly woke up, "Good morning, Lena."

"Morning," I looked over at the clock. Shortly after eight, "Morning?"

"Night," he helped me up, "It'd be weird to say good night to you if we're just waking up."

"Fair enough," I stretched, "You feel like going out for a drink?"

"I could do a drink," Xander nodded, "You want a quick hit before we go out?"

"Absolutely," I got my knife out of my bag and took enough to get a little buzz. I didn't need to drain Xander again.

We left our hotel without Lucifer in my head and went into the bar down the street. And I had all intentions of getting absolutely bombed. I had my pain in the ass roommate in my head. I had my brothers pissed off at me. My pseudo father figure screwed me over. I'm sure Heaven wasn't too happy with me, given my current vice of choice. I deserved a damn drink!

Or two drinks…Or three drinks…Or nine drinks. I stopped counting. This demon blood was killing my tolerance ratio. Usually, after nine drinks, I would've been totally bombed. But I felt fine! What the hell, demon blood? Not cool, man. Not cool. Although, I was getting a little dizzy. Drink after drink, my dizziness only got worse. I needed to lay down now. All the booze hit me at once and I needed to go sleepy-by…

All I did was shut my eyes. And for whatever reason, my head went right back to the beautiful penthouse I shared with my fantasy gentleman friend/Latin lover Fredrico. He laid on our bed in the black silk sheets, stretched out, ready for the two of us to have a regularly scheduled evening. Yes, please. I'm here for this.

"Hola señorita," Fredrico shot me a wink, "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Hola," I jumped onto our bed.

"Mi princesa," he wrapped his arms around me, "How would you like to proceed? Should I take my shirt off?"

"Si…"

"And maybe," Fredrico undid his shirt buttons, "my pants later?"

"Si…" I started sweating. My heart started racing.

"And maybe," he whispered in my ear, gently kissing my cheek, "We could move on to you…"

Knock, knock.

"Oh, son of a bitch," I grumbled, "Hold on. I'll be right back."

"Where do I have to go, sweetheart?"

I got up from the bed and threw the door open. Fantastic. Just the dick I wanted to see, "Hi, Lena. Busy?"

"Go away, Lucifer," I shut the door in his face. Only to turn around and find him sitting on the couch, "You're a bad case of herpes. Did you know that?"

"You know how to hurt me, don't you, Lena?" Lucifer kicked his feet up.

"Lena?" Fredrico called from the bed, "Is everything alright?"

"Yes," I promised, "It's fine."

"Like I'm not even here," Lucifer let me go, "Enjoy."

"Or," I suggested, "You could just leave. That'd be pretty cool."

"Where's the fun in that?"

Knock, knock.

"Son of a bitch!" I squeaked, "I can't catch a damn break!"

"It's alright, Lena," Fredrico settled me, "Go ahead and get the door."

I shoved my finger in Lucifer's face, "Not. A. Word."

"No one can see me, Lena," Lucifer assured, "Still just in your head. And always in your heart."

"In the dark, vast corner of my heart," I grabbed the door to find a man with a pizza balanced on his hands, "You, too, now?"

"Hiya, sweetheart," my favorite little archangel beamed on the other side, "I did owe you a pizza, did I not?"

"Now?" I whined, "You couldn't have picked a worse time to do this."

"Well, I wanted to come talk to you," Gabriel pulled up a chair, "Hey, Fredrico? Do you mind? Salir?"

There went Fredrico. So much for my dirty dream. And of course, because the name of the game is to make sure Lena doesn't have nice things, Lucifer sat off in the corner with a giant grin on his face, "This couldn't have been more perfect. Do it, Lena. You remember the thing I told you, right? About getting Gabriel's grace? And how that would heighten your demon blood and make it last longer and all kinds of fun?"

"You know, kiddo," Gabriel began, "If you were looking for a break, you could've come hung out with me. The shenanigans we could get into would be borderline sitcom."

"Do it, Lena…"

"What can I say?" I shrugged, "I like this better."

"Do it…"

"Your brothers are worried, Lena," Gabriel told me, "Instead, you've been juicing?"

"Thanks, Gabriel," I mumbled, "Just what I want with my dirty fantasy. A lecture."

"Get his grace, Lena…His angel blade is in his pocket. Just a quick slit of his throat and it's all yours."

"I'm not here to lecture you," he promised, "I know you're a big girl. You can make your own decisions. Who am I to say what you can and can't do? Go play if you want. I'm all for it. But you do know that Sam and Dean are just looking to help you, right? That they love you?"

"Yeah," I sighed out, "I know. But is running by myself really that bad?"

"Depends on what you get yourself into," Gabriel thought, "Sometimes, you get into hookers and blow. Other times, you get into demon blood."

"Do it, Lena!" Lucifer screamed in my ear, "Get his grace now!"

I jolted up out of a dead sleep in a cold sweat in the passenger seat of the Pinto. What the hell was that all about…? My head hurt and we were moving. Not a good combination. That's when Lena gets motion sick and that's not pretty for anyone involved. Lucky for me, I had a Xander. Granted, Lucifer was still in the backseat with his knitting, but for right now, I needed to get the nauseum under control.

"Hey," Xander put his hand to my forehead, "How are you doing, Lena?"

"Not too hot, Xander," Lucifer chimed, "She could've been a whole hell of a lot better if she would've nabbed a little bit of Gabriel grace, but she decided to ignore me."

"I'm kind of nauseous," I reported, trying to get my bearings.

"Here," Xander drove with his knee and opened up his arm, "We're almost to the gate. You think you can hang in there for a little bit longer? Then, it'll be all the demons you could ever ask for and you can go through them like water if you wanted to. Alright?"

"Ok," I started nodding off again with Xander's bleeding arm in my mouth, "Xander, I'm so tired."

"I know," he flexed his fingers, making his blood pump faster, "But we'll be in Hell soon and you can rest then. Stay with me, ok?"

"Aww…" Lucifer put his needles down, "You know, Lena, you two would make a super, super cute couple."

"Shut…up…Lucifer…" I caught my breath in between feeding.

"Do you want me to get him out?" Xander asked, "You know I can."

"Don't worry about it," I brushed him off, giving Xander his arm back, "He's not worth the effort."

"Come on," he stopped the car outside a cemetery in Cheyenne and threw me on his back, "We're almost there, Lena. Soon enough, you'll be on your throne, ok?"

"Awesome," I wrapped my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck. Xander spit out a couple lines of Latin and a mausoleum door opened up. There it was. The doorway to Hell. I've never seen it up close. The last time I was in Hell, Lucifer took me and it was against my will. I don't think we had to use the gate. Well…Here we go. Let's go to Hell.

 **A/N: Yes, Lena. Let's go to Hell. I'm very excited. Also, I LOVE THE AMOUNT OF LUCIFER SASS IN THIS CHAPTER. HE IS A SASSY BITCH AND I LOVE IT SO MUCH. And another thing, our dear friend BunnyGirl1520 (Yes. You post about it in a public forum. You will be called out. But this is coming from a place of love. I promise.) has volunteered to do a lovely bit of fan art that I'm _HEAVILY_ looking forward to! Whenever you finish, hit me up on the internet somewhere. Twitter, Tumblr, Snapchat, Instagram. You know where to find me. Don't hesitate. Now, I'm thinking I'm going to go turn on some ASMR, lay down, and possibly go to sleep. See you next chapter! xx**


	18. The Takeover, the Break's Over

"Lena," Xander spoke softly, "Lena, wake up. We're here."

I opened my eyes slowly, feeling them water a bit. That hellfire could be pretty bright. Wait a second. We're here? We're in Hell? This looked a lot different than the last time I was here. Then again, who knows what Lucifer was doing to my head? All of Hell...And it's...All mine. It's not like Crowley was going to come back and take it from me. What harm would it do if I took his empire off his hands for a while?

"So, this is it, huh?" I got Xander to put me down. "This is Hell?"

"Don't you remember, princess?" Of course Lucifer's still riding shotgun in my head, "This is home to you. I brought you here a few years ago. Before you got your fake life together. This is where you were always meant to be."

"This is Hell," Xander presented me my new domain, "Beautiful, scenic Hell. Fire, brimstone, and around the clock torture as far as the eye can see. Yours to do with as you wish."

"Awesome," I lost my balance for a minute.

"Ooh..." Lucifer winced, "Is someone needing a little boost? Protein shake? Green juice? The grace of an archangel she should have taken when she had the chance?"

"Lena?" Xander steadied me, "Are you ok?"

"I'm still human," I pointed out, "I need a demon. I need one now."

"You've definitely come to the right place," he smiled, opening his vein for me, "But I know how particular you are when it comes to your preferred choice of vintage."

"If you ever get too tired," I latched on and got in a few decent gulps, "I can always get another demon. As long as it's a succubus. Any of the ones you personally hate will do."

"And let them get the honor they don't deserve?" Xander cradled me, flexing his fingers to pump his blood faster into my mouth, "I don't think so. Besides, I don't mind doing this for you, Lena. My blood makes our new queen stronger with every feeding. In a way, my blood is helping you rule Hell. I'd never want to have to pass this onto someone else. Unless you were feeling particularly wicked and wanted to make an example out of someone."

"Thank you, Xander," I could already feel myself getting stronger. Then, I remembered. Speaking of my blood supply, "Hey, I got you a present."

"For me?" he was caught a bit off guard, "You didn't have to do that."

"Actually, I did," I dug around in my bag and pulled out two little bottles, "I want you to start taking these. Start out with half the bottle and we'll see how it goes."

"Iron supplements?" Xander studied the bottles, "What would I need this for?"

"It helps your blood somehow," I explained, remembering back to Christina and Seth. I wonder if he's down here somewhere...No. If I remember correctly, monsters end up in Purgatory. Maybe we could arrange for prisoner transport. I did miss Seth. Killing him wasn't easy, but it had to be done, "Just start taking them. If you're going to be my one and only supplier, you'll need them."

"The tips of the trade you learn from a vampire," Lucifer jabbed, "Who'd have thought you'd become one just like them? Only the blood's a little more potent."

"What did I say about shutting up?!" I snapped.

"Lucifer again?" Xander assumed.

"Yeah," I groaned, "Worst. Roommate. Ever."

"I could be a whole lot worse if you want me to be," Lucifer promised.

"Want me to get you high again?" Xander offered.

"No," I shook my head, "I'm sure I can ignore him."

"Place your bets, ladies and gentlemen!" Lucifer called out, "How long until Lena Winchester cracks because of me? Four to one odds on twenty minutes!"

"You can do it," Xander hugged me tight, "I know you can."

"It's funny," I thought out loud, "A few years ago, you were torturing me in my nursery. Now, you're my number one supporter."

"It's better to be on the winning side than the losing one," he pointed out, "Come on. You need to wait for that blood to kick in."

"I'm already starting to buzz," I reported, "I think I might be ok for now."

"For now, she says..."

"Xander!" a girl with bright red hair came running toward us. Xander put me down in order to catch her in his arms, "You're back!"

"Morena!" he squeezed her tight, "I missed you, too."

"Are you ok?" she looked him over, "You were topside for quite a while. You look paler than you usually do. And you're covered in scars. Xander, what the hell happened to you up there?"

"It's alright," Xander settled her, "It's ok, Morena. I've been chosen for a bigger mission."

"Xander," I wondered, "Who is she?"

"Lena!" the girl recognized me, "It's been ages since I've seen you!"

"We've met?"

"Don't you remember anything about your time in Hell?" Xander asked.

"Sorry, kiddo," Lucifer chimed in, "That probably went out when Castiel took the angel grace out of her body. Just a vague idea of what Hell looked like was left behind. Imagine the ass she could kick if she still had that in her. You can't just get Daddy's grace anywhere. The fact you willingly had it sucked out of you is a bit of a bummer. But mmm, mmm, mmm…Morena. Still looking good as ever."

"Not much," I shook pain in the ass off, "Just a little of the layout."

"I'm Morena," she introduced herself, "I'm the one that prepared you for Lucifer when you first got here."

"That slinky red dress was her idea," Lucifer added, "You pulled it off well. A little tongue in cheek for my taste, but it worked for you."

"I remember you now." Things started to click in my head. When Lucifer wasn't using it as a trampoline.

"She's also my big sister," Xander gushed, "And my favorite."

"Alright," Morena peeled him off her waist, "There's such a thing as personal space. We've talked about this."

"Sorry," he let her go.

"Now, explain to me," she demanded, "How the hell are you all covered in scars? Get into a tangle with some hunters or something?"

"Kind of," Xander shot me a wink, "But she's alright. You know how Lucky's been up on Earth for a while?"

"Yeah," Morena nodded while I giggled a bit. Granted, MacLoud's Scottish, but it's still funny as hell, "What about it?"

"Lena here," Xander nudged me forward, "is shaking things up around here. She's been drinking his royal pain in the ass's blood for past…Lena, how long have you been juicing with Crowley's blood?"

"About three months," I counted on my fingers.

"And you've been on incubus blood for…?"

"A week."

"She's taking the throne," Xander beamed, oozing with pride, "But that's why I'm covered in scars. I've been giving her my blood."

"Xander!" Morena scolded, "No! You don't give your blood to anyone! That's why you look like crap. You should know better and take better care of yourself!"

"Relax," he settled her, "I've been giving it to her willingly. The stronger she is, the better things will be. Lena's exactly what Hell needs. She'll make Hell less hellish for the rest of us. She can not only deter Crowley, but the Winchesters, too. I know they're eighty percent of our revenue, but they'll never bother us again. I'm sure Heaven would leave us alone, too. Think about it, Morena. We can have calm for the first time since creation."

"I do have both Crowley and my brothers wrapped around my little finger," I smiled, "And Cas would do anything for me, too. And Chuck! I forgot about Chuck. I could probably get away with murder with him."

"GOD?!" Morena gasped, "You have GOD on a leash?"

"I wouldn't say on a leash," I thought, "But we're buddies."

"You're incredible," she sat back in awe, "Come on! Let's get you to the throne room. Where you belong."

"Ok," I lit up, ready to finally get a good seat in this place.

"She's right, you know," Lucifer gave me a nudge, "I'm not the only one that says you were meant to be here."

I'm trying my damnedest to ignore the guy, but Lucifer had a point. If he's not the only one telling me these things, maybe he's right. Maybe I was always meant to rule Hell. I mean, Sam and Dean were, in a way, meant to work for opposite sides in the apocalypse. They didn't take the opportunity and look where that landed them. Stuck on mundane Earth when Dean could've been an archangel. And Sam, too! Dean could've been high up on Heaven's food chain. Sam could've ruled Hell. But no. Because those two were that self-righteous and too blind to see what was in front of them, they're up on Earth doing God knows what.

Odds are, they're probably still looking for me or a way to save me. Something like that. Bless their hearts, though. I will say this. Things were looking up for me. Granted, I'm tired and could stand an hour nap, but I'm about to take the throne in Hell. Oh, if I could go back in time and tell ten-year-old Lena all about this. She'd have a heart attack and the nuns would be doing a preemptive exorcism. How does that old saying go, though? One man's screwing of the pooch (or two, in this case) is another man's golden opportunity? I might be paraphrasing.

Xander, Morena, and I stopped outside a dark pair of doors. That was it, wasn't it? But I was getting dizzy. I leaned up against the wall, doing my best to keep myself from collapsing. Losing my buzz already? I must not have had enough the first time around. Or I'm growing a tolerance. Or being in Hell was kicking my ass more than I thought it would.

"Are you ok, Lena?" Xander worried, holding me up.

"I think I'm running low on energy," I let out a heavy sigh, "I hate to do this to you already, Xander, but…"

"Oh, stop," he gave me his arm, "You need your strength. And if this is how you get it, so be it."

"Would you want mine, too?" Morena offered.

"No," I shook my head, getting a few swallows in first, "It's bad enough I'm taking hits off Xander."

"Besides," Xander added, "Incubus blood and succubus blood is different. It's bad enough she was mixing incubus blood and crossroad demon blood. We don't need to throw in another one."

"But thank you, Morena," I went back to sucking on her brother's vein. And thank you, Xander. My sudden surge of power through my body gave me the energy to throw the doors in front of me wide open.

There it was. Hell's throne room. Never been to this part before. Not bad. Rather cozy, really. And that big, black, intricately carved chair was all mine. However, we were hitting a bit of a snag. The two big guys on either side of it. Naturally, they're going to be a bit skeptical of a random newcomer (let alone a human with ties to the Winchesters) to the throne room. I'm sure they pledged their undying loyalty to Crowley, too.

"Who are you?"

"Relax, sweetheart," I shut him up, stepping up to the throne. He blocked me. Son of a bitch, "Uh…Do you mind?"

"Where's Mr. Crowley?"

"Busy sipping cocktails with the Winchesters and screwing everyone over," I filled him in, "Gentlemen, you work for me now."

The pair shared their skepticism, "Why should we be working for you?"

"I'm glad you asked," I threw them both aside, pinning them to against the wall on opposing sides, "Because Crowley never had anyone else's interests in mind, except his own. If I could, I'd be draining that son of a bitch from a meat hook right now. Crowley has no interest in coming back to Hell and we all know that if it were complete anarchy down here, it'd be a mess and throw off some sort of cosmic balance, so you poor saps are in desperate need of leadership. Because I need a place to hang my hat at the end of the day, I've decided to set my sites on Hell. Because I'll be better than Crowley. I'll be better than Lucifer."

"Uh…" Lucifer piped up, "That last one will be a little debatable, Lena. Careful with that bear you're poking at."

"Now," I kept them suspended, blowing off Lucifer entirely and standing by what I said, "Is that a good enough reason?"

"Yes, ma'am," they both struggled for breath.

"Fantastic," I threw them down, "So? Ready to accept Lena as your dark lord and savior?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Now…" I looked them both over. The bigger one of the two looked pretty good, "You! What's your name?"

"Brennex," he said.

"Brennex, huh?" I motioned him closer. With a quick swipe of the knife in my pocket, I slashed an artery in his neck and went to town. I didn't need any more. Xander got me by just fine. However, he did say if I needed to make an example of someone. And the other guy seemed pretty nervous. Consider the example made and the tap dry as a bone. I threw his limp corpse at the foot of my throne, "And you. What's your name?"

"M…Me?" he shook.

"Relax," I assured, "I'm not draining you. I still need protection. Now, name?"

"Torith…Highness."

"Spread the word, Torith," I sent him running around Hell as my own little messenger.

I think I'm going to like it here.

 **A/N: So, Lena's going on a bit of a power trip. Fun! Nothing quite like a good bout of megalomania with a hint of sadism. It's a good time. If only her brothers could see her now. And it's only going to get worse from here. See you next chapter! xx**


	19. Blackbird

Nothing quite as centering as a walk through Hell. I never thought it would be, but the bleak, the darkness. It's weirdly soothing. Who would've guessed Hell would've been so peaceful? I mean, it's still in dire need of redecorating, but give it time. In my stroll past the cells, it made me curious. I wonder if there was anyone I knew down here.

I doubt it. Some of the people I knew on Earth have done some bad things, but never anything to warrant going to Hell. Maybe Mel. With the amount of cocaine that girl used to do, the number of guys she's banged behind a Pizza Hut dumpster before she met Brendon, and her mouth of a sailor, there could be a warm spot in Hell reserved for her. No. Cas told me she was in a better place at her funeral. I doubt he would ever call Hell the better place. But it's so under appreciated. We really need a better PR team.

Suddenly, I caught a familiar smell in my nose. Like warm apple pie. There was no whiskey or gunpowder with it, so that wiped out Dean, Uncle Bobby, and Aunt Karen. What can I say? Color me curious. However, I'm not stupid enough to go charging into something head first and hope for the best. And it had been a while since I had a good feeding. I sat down on the floor next to the door hiding the apple pie from me.

"Lena?" Xander got down next to me, "Are you alright?"

"I'm hungry, Xander," I reported, "And I'm not feeling like human food right now."

"Say no more..." he blushed, "My queen. It'd be an honor and a privilege to allow you to feed on me."

"Skip the formalities, sweetheart," I waived, "I don't need the ass kissing. Just tap your vein for me."

"Yes, ma'am," Xander ran his blade over the same scar for me and I started to get my fill. It's amazing what giving him iron pills did for his blood. It tasted richer, making me not want to drink very much at a time. Kind of like eating gelato. But that wasn't going to stop me from eating so much I get a stomachache.

Once I was all juiced up and at full power again, I was ready to see who was hiding behind door number God only knows. There are more souls in Hell than numbers can measure. I cracked the door open and peeked inside. Looked like the demon assigned to tortured this poor apple pie smelling sap was out to lunch. I guess the new queen in town had to come in and pick up the slack. I've never tortured anyone before. I hope I do a good job. Who knows? I might catch the bug.

Wait a minute...I knew him. This guy all huddled in the corner looked was covered in bruises and cuts and scars. Someone just kicked the absolute crap out of him. And it put a hole in my heart. Maybe Lucifer was right and I should've taken some of Gabriel's grace. That way, I'd be able to heal this poor guy and get him to stop his sobbing. _I told you so._ Oh, so now you're going to invade my inner monologues? _Maybe..._ Awesome. I still couldn't figure out how I knew him, though.

I put my hand on his shoulder as gently as I could, "Hey..."

"Get away from me!" he jumped out of his skin. Oh my God, I know exactly how I knew him. He scurried off to the opposite corner.

"It's ok," I spoke softly, "I'm not here to hurt you. I promise."

He started to come back around, looking over at me, "Charlie?"

"Hi, Seth," I smiled, forcing back a biblical flood of tears. Without even thinking about it, he threw himself into my arms.

"I'm so glad to see you, Charlie," he bawled into my shoulder.

"Actually," I corrected him, "My name isn't Charlie. It's Lena. But I missed you, too."

"Can I still call you Charlie?" Seth requested, "It's more or less out of habit."

"If it helps you sleep at night," I allowed.

"If I ever get to sleep," he shivered, "They're brutal down here. Wait, what are you doing down here? Are you the replacement for the other guy?"

"No," I shook my head, "Like I said, I'm not here to hurt you. I don't do the torturing around here. That's below my paygrade."

"Good," Seth's tired, limp body melted into my chest, "I don't think I can take much more today."

"How are you here?" I wondered, "I thought you were a vampire."

"I was," he confirmed, "But I was turned. I used to be human. And at the Pearly Gates, they don't look too kindly on someone that would willingly damn their soul like that, so my human half got sent to Hell. My monster half is running loose in Purgatory somewhere."

"Sounds like fun."

"Must be," Seth thought, "Because he's never come back for me."

"Is there any way of you two reuniting?" I wondered, "Your human half and your vampire half?"

"I don't think so," he perked up a little, "Wait, you're over here giving me the third degree. What are you doing here?"

"Hey," I scolded lightly, "I'd watch that kind of tone around the new queen. I came down here to take over. Lo and behold, here I am. Is there anything I can get you that would make your stay in Hell a little less...Well, like Hell?"

"You can do that?" Seth's face lit up.

"Absolutely," I promised, "What do you want?"

"Well," he thought it over, "If you could get the big guy to ease up on the whips and the rack, that'd be pretty cool."

"Consider it done," I confirmed, "What's your demon's name?"

"Onoskelis."

"Ok," I made mental note. Onoskelis, huh? Later, "How are you feeling now?"

"Not too terribly bad," he took a quick assessment, "Sure, I feel like crap, but things are starting to come around. That's usually when Onoskelis comes back."

"Good enough to take a walk with the queen?" I offered him my hand.

"Always," Seth got up without hesitation.

"Wow," I teased, "For getting your ass beat by demons on the regular, that was pretty quick recovery."

"Yeah," he flexed his joints in total confusion, "That's weird. Not two seconds ago, I was miserable. Now, I'm perfectly fine."

"That's when you say thank you, kid," Lucifer chimed in.

"Really?" I smiled, "Aww...You do care."

"Told you," he reiterated, "I'm your favorite little devil on your shoulder. We can be buddies, Lena. I just healed your first love there."

"That's..." I blushed a bit.

"Charlie?" Seth gave me a look, "Who are you talking to?"

"I'm still waiting for my thank you..." Lucifer tapped his foot.

"You were healed, Seth," I explained, biting my tongue, "Lucifer healed you."

"Lucifer?" he stared in disbelief, "Like...The Lucifer? You know Lucifer?"

"Long story," I groaned, "But yes. I do know Lucifer. He's exasperating and likes to sing showtunes when I'm trying to sleep, but long story short, he did heal you. Now, come on. Something tells me if you're seen with the queen, the demons will ease up on you."

"Ok," Seth slipped his hand in mine.

I wonder what it's like to walk hand in hand with the new queen of Hell. Must be an ego trip and a half. Then again, I can speak from personal experience. It feels a whole hell of a lot better to be the queen instead. Honestly, I could stand another hit from my favorite incubus, but for right now and the sake of saving face, I think that's one of those things I'll do in private. _Is it because you're ashamed of what you're doing, Lena? Don't want to do that in front of the ex?_ Did anybody ask you? Besides, I had some bridges to burn and apologies to make.

"So..." I bit my lip, "I'm sorry about that whole thing with Nikolai."

"Sorry I didn't tell you I was a vampire sooner," Seth apologized, "I'll accept yours if you'll accept mine?"

"Deal," I agreed, "What made you want to become one in the first place?"

"I was orphaned when I was thirteen in Little Rock," Seth told me, hitting closer to home than he thought, "My parents got shot. No one wanted to adopt a thirteen-year-old."

"Amen, sister," I sympathized, "Been there, done that. Only my parents made a deal with a demon and managed to get out of it. But I kind of got adopted at fourteen and rode with Sam and Dean ever since."

"Sam and Dean?" he gasped, his eyes growing wide, "You're not talking about Sam and Dean Winchester, are you?"

"Yeah."

"YOU'RE A WINCHE-"

"SHUT UP, SETH!" I covered his mouth, "I have a feeling my new minions wouldn't take too kindly to that fact, so we're going to keep that under wraps, if that's ok. If it's not, I can always tell Onoskelis to be even rougher on you."

"No, thank you," Seth mumbled, still in complete shock.

"Good boy," I took my hand away, "Now, we're going to forget that fact and move on, yeah?"

"Yeah," he shook it off, "Anyway, when I was still in Little Rock, a man came in and told me he wanted to adopt me and make me part of his family. In those days, I was so desperate to have a family that I was willing to say yes to anything. I didn't think he was going to bite me right then and there. After that, we made the move to Sioux Falls where no one would think to find us and it was that way until the day we died."

"I'm surprised Chuck let that slide," I thought out loud.

"Who's Chuck?" Seth wondered, "Let what slide?"

"You know him as God," I explained, "But I call him Chuck."

"You know God, too?!" I thought this poor boy was going to have a nosebleed.

"Yes," I rolled my eyes, "I know God, Lucifer, Lucifer's true vessel, Michael's true vessel, angels, archangels, demons, the whole damn creature gambit."

"No offense, Charlie," Seth teased, "But you get around, don't you?"

"Just call me a slut," I allowed, "It's easier."

"By the way," he wondered, "How did you take over Hell? Like, did Lucifer just up and give you Hell?"

"Oh, he's giving me hell alright," I assured. _Tee hee. Guilty._ Lucifer, again, no one asked for you, "But no. Crowley. You know about Crowley, right?"

"Crowley..." Seth thought for a minute or two, "He's the top of the food chain with the crossroads demons, isn't he?"

"Try again," I clarified, "He was, but then, Lucifer was put in a cage for a while. With the throne empty, Crowley decided to take over and become the King of Hell. Now, while Crowley's upstairs playing with my brothers and betraying me, I figured I'd keep his seat warm. Or just keep his seat."

"Neat," he applauded, "Easiest takeover ever. And you're not worried about if and/or when Crowley comes back?"

"Oh, hell no," I scoffed, "Please. Crowley's wrapped around my little finger. Besides, I have a little more power under my belt than he knows about. He wouldn't touch me."

"Oh, Charlie," Seth wrapped his arms around me, "I missed you."

"You know," I smiled, reveling in his embrace, "I missed you, too. Your being a vampire aside, we had some good times."

"Our first date," he remembered, "The bar in Sioux Falls."

"I knew the band playing that night," I admitted, "When the lead singer was talking about his friend Lena, that was me."

"Really?"

"Yep."

"You could've gone up to them and said hi," Seth pointed out, "I wouldn't have minded."

"And blow my cover?" I squeaked, "I don't think so."

"True," he nodded, "Hey, Charlie...Do you know about Christina? Is she ok? I mean, Nikolai did just feed off her before you woke up."

"She'll be fine," I promised, "I left her with Sam and Dean. They'll be able to take care of her. Cas will probably fix her up, no problem."

"Do you..." Seth stared down at his feet, "Do you think I could see her?"

"You're dead, dude," I reminded him, "I might be the new Queen of Hell, but I don't have that kind of power."

"It was worth a shot," he sighed out, "I miss her, too. There's no way of checking up on her?"

"Not that I know of," I couldn't stand to see such a sad face on Seth. It broke me inside. I needed something to cheer him up. And I knew just the thing, "Hey. You want to come with me to the throne room?"

"Sure," Seth wasn't sure what to make of my sudden kind gesture, "What would I need to be in the throne room for?"

"Well," I gave him a little smile, "The place could stand some cheering up and the Queen could us a bard. You're not getting torture anymore."

"Seriously?" There. Instant happy face, "No more torture?"

"You're getting an upgrade," I decided, "Effective immediately."

Out of nowhere, Seth hugged me tight. For a minute, I thought he was going to snap my spine, "Thank you, Charlie. I couldn't handle any more of that if I wanted to. Onoskelis was brutal."

"You're welcome," I kissed his cheek, "Come on. Throne room's this way."

I brought Seth to see my nice, big, new chair and kicked my feet up. Xander stood on the other side of it, waiting for me to come back. Oh, it is good to be queen. My incubus on one side, my vampiric bard on the other. No complaints anywhere. What more could a girl want?

"How was your walk through Hell, my queen?" Xander teased, knowing how formalities made me feel. His eyes drifted over my shoulder, "Lena, why did you take someone out of his cell?"

"Xander," I settled him, "This is Seth. Seth, this is Xander. Seth is getting upgraded to the throne room. He's gone from regularly scheduled torture to being my pet. No one gets to touch him except me. Is that understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," Xander dropped it immediately. Awesome. _Power feels good, doesn't it?_ Oh, yeah. It is definitely good to be queen.

"Um, Charlie," Seth spoke softly, a little spooked by Xander, "I don't know about this."

"It's fine," I promised, "Xander's just a little cranky. New meds. We're working on it. Now, any instrument you'd care to play?"

"Guitar, personally," he requested, "Any requests, your highness?"

"Not calling me your highness for one," I insisted, "As far as what you should play, surprise me. Xander!"

"Yes, Lena?" Xander moved to my side.

"I need you to open up," I ordered, "And if you could find a way to get Seth a guitar in his hands, that'd be pretty cool, too."

"I got that taken care of, Lena," Lucifer took over, "Open the cabinet over by the door."

"Seth," I directed, "If you look in the cabinet, there's a little something, something in there for you."

"Can...I...?" Seth was still pretty shaken. Must be one of those side effects of torture.

"Yes," I assured, "You can go. It's ok. Seth, it's fine. Do what you want. Be my bard. Be my pet. Be my lover. It's fine. Go."

"Ok," he got up from the stairs and did exactly as I told him. That guitar Lucifer left for him was pretty damn beautiful, too. A nice, rich oak acoustic. Strange, given that we're in Hell, that he'd pick an acoustic, but I approve. And I think Seth did, too, "This isn't half bad."

"Half bad?" Lucifer scoffed, "Do you know whose guitar that used to be? That guitar was worth a whole soul!"

"Alright," I hushed him, "Settle down up there. Xander, open up."

"Yes, ma'am," Xander assumed the regular feeding position, giving me exactly what I want.

"Charlie," Seth started playing softly while I got my fix, "You're drinking demon blood?"

"Yep," I came up for air, "That's why I told you that you couldn't turn me. I already was one in a way. Just for a different kind of blood. I was drinking Crowley's for a while, but once he stopped giving me what I wanted, I had to summon Xander. Go on, song and dance man. Serenade me."

"Our song?" he winked.

"I wouldn't call Blackbird our song," I went back to Xander's arm. Swallow after swallow only made me that much stronger. Then, a stroke of sheer brilliance popped into my head, "Hey, Xander, how are you feeling?"

"A little dizzy," Xander came to, "But I'm ok. The iron pills work like a charm."

"Good," I beamed, "Because I want you to scour the four corners of Hell and find Onoskelis for me."

"Charlie, are you high?!" Seth freaked.

"A little bit, yeah," I nodded, "Trust me. I know what I'm doing. Xander, go."

"Ok," Xander got up and stumbled a few steps. For just losing a bit of blood, he's not doing too bad.

"Uh..." Seth was still a bit leery, "What the hell are you doing, Charlie? Why are you bringing my demon here?"

"You'll see," I waited patiently for Xander to come back. In the meantime, "Hey, Morena!"

"You call for me, Lena?" my favorite succubus popped up.

"I think we need to redecorate in here," I ran through design plans in my head, "I'm torn between industrial and French colonial."

"You know," Morena thought it over, "We could play around with it for a while until we get the best of both worlds."

"Hell of an idea," I praised, "You could do that, couldn't you? You really do have an eye."

"Thank you," she bowed, "I like Hell's new management. Crowley never would've done anything like this. He hardly looks at a succubus unless it's for sex and we all have to draw straws for that."

"I like Hell's new management, too," I kicked my feet up on the arm of the throne, "So, French industrial, huh?"

"Lena," Xander came back with a woman behind him, "As promised."

"Who are you?" This bitch...Now, I could see why Seth hated her, "Ooh...Lookie here. My favorite little plaything."

"I'm Lena," I smiled, "I see word hasn't reached you that Hell is under new management."

"Where's Crowley?" Onoskelis looked over at Seth, licking her lips like she was about to eat him alive.

"He's gone," I explained, "I've got control of the throne now."

"Please," she scoffed, "You're just a human, aren't you?"

"A naysayer, huh?" I grinned even bigger, "Hey, Morena, we were just discussing how to redecorate, right?"

"That's right," Morena nodded, "Why? Did you pick something?"

"Yeah, I did," I snapped my fingers, watching Onoskelis's blood paint the walls, "I like it even better. Seth, you doing ok?"

"Yeah," Seth wiped his face off, "I think I'm good."

"Good."

Such a shame to see good blood go to waste. Not that I'd be drinking that anyway. She's not a succubus. She's not an incubus. She's not Crowley. Just a doubter. And what do we do to the nonbelievers? Blow them up from the inside, of course.

 **A/N: Lena's in need of a Snickers. Actually, I could use a Snickers, too. Sorry. I just got back from seeing Infinity War a little while ago and I'm kind of depressed. Regardless, we have Seth back in the fold. I loved him. He was sweet. And he's still sweet. Always Lena's bard. Also, if you can tell me who the previous owner of Seth's new guitar was, you get a high five. Now, I'm going to go lay down because I ate too much earlier from eating my feelings and my doggie needs to go outside. See you next chapter! xx**


	20. Bleed It Out

Damn, Morena did a nice job. The throne room looked more like I lived here. She managed to get the light, airy, antique look of French colonial, but with a little bit of metal in various places. In some spots, it looked practically steampunk, but I'm not complaining. How she managed to get all the wasted blood off the walls will forever baffle me, but girlfriend had a talent. That's for sure.

Even better, I rested comfortably in my throne while Onoskelis blended into the paint and Seth continued to serenade me. I kind of wanted to start treating him more like a pet, but I didn't have the heart to. Something about keeping his human half like that felt wrong. If it were his vampire half, though, I wouldn't hesitate. Speaking of vampires, or in this case, vampiric tendencies, where, in Chuck's green Earth, is my blood bag?

I knew Xander wandered off earlier. I told him it was cool if he wanted to offer some...special relief to those suffering. He was an incubus after all. I'm sure I could let him run loose on Earth just to get his rocks off for a while. That didn't mean I didn't have needs, too. Granted, he didn't touch me, but I had specific needs that only he could satisfy. Well...I say only he can. There is one other, but as of now, he's dead to me.

"Xander!" I called out to the void, "Where are you?

"He's still on Earth," Seth assumed, playing softly, "What's with you two?"

"He's my dealer," I always had a tongue-in-cheek way of looking at our relationship, "I feel like ass and I need some of his blood."

"What about Morena?" he suggested, "Aren't they the same kind of demon?"

"Essentially," I mulled it over, "But I don't want Morena's blood. Xander would never forgive me. And if he's pissed off at me, I won't get his blood either."

"What about Crowley?"

"Screw him!" I squealed, "He can go rot in a corner of Hell I don't have access to."

"Alright," Seth backed off, "I see I hit a nerve."

I let out a heavy sigh. That was a bit rough and Seth didn't deserve that. He's only trying to help, "I'm sorry. It's just that...Well, Crowley broke my heart. Let's just leave it at that."

"It's alright," he took my hand, "What about my blood? It's here. It's still got some supernatural juice to it. And since I'm stuck in Hell, you can just push the reset button. It'll replenish itself."

"You're even more out of the question," I shot him down, "I know you're trying to help, Seth, but I can't mix my bloods like that. I'm not even sure if mixing Xander and Crowley is good for me."

"How bad is your withdrawal?" Seth wondered.

"It's not Candyland," I scoffed, "But I'll manage until he comes back."

"Are you sure?" Lucifer sang behind me, "Because you're held together with duct tape right now, Lena. Your withdrawal is going to get pretty intense shortly. You better get to an incubus demon soon."

"Ok," Seth sat at my feet, laying his head on my shins, "So, can I ask you a question?"

"Go ahead, Seth," I allowed, "Ask away."

"What's the deal with you two?" he asked.

"Excellent question, Seth!" Lucifer praised, "I like him."

"Xander and I have an understanding," I explained, blowing the little devil on my shoulder off, "He's...sort of like my second in command, but not exactly at that level. I keep him around for the blood and he knows that."

"So..." Seth bit his lip, "It's not...Like...Physical? You did say he was an incubus demon, right?"

"No," I rolled my eyes, "I'm not doing Xander. He's done some things in the past that I'd consider a turn off, but I'm kind of hooked here, so I put up with it. I have the power to end him at any given time. We're not a thing, Seth. Don't worry."

"What about us...?"

"We're not a thing either," I clarified, "Don't get me wrong. You're sweet, but you were also going to turn me."

"That's more serious than a wedding ring," he chuckled to himself, "That's actually eternal."

"Alright," my shaking and sweating started to get nearly unbearable, "Xander! Get your ass back down here!"

The throne room doors creaked open and my favorite meal came stumbling in, "I'm so sorry, Lena. I thought you were going to be ok."

"Come on, Xander," I teased, "Lipstick on the collar? Could you be any more cliche?"

"Sorority house in New Orleans," he grinned, "Like an all-you-can-eat buffet of..."

"I get it," I cringed, "You can keep your exploits to yourself. For now, your queen needs her fix. Come here."

"I should keep some of this on ice for you while I'm gone," Xander opened his wrist up for me, holding it over my mouth. So much better...

"She used to keep it in applesauce pouches," Seth shot me a wink.

"He's right," I pulled Xander's arm out of my mouth, "Crowley's idea."

"That's ingenious," Xander approved as I took his wrist back, "I could fill a few IV bags for you to take at your leisure. That way, I could have a little recovery time, too. And I'd still be able to take the occasional trip upstairs."

"Xander," I finished up, wiping my mouth off, "I hate to ask this of you, but call me paranoid. You didn't do something stupid like go see my brothers, did you? Or possibly just as bad, Crowley?"

"No way!" he squeaked, "Do I look like I have a deathwish? Actively seeking out a Winchester is a suicide mission. And given that I've switched teams, I'm sure Crowley's not too happy with me and he's a lot stronger than I am. Besides, that would've taken away from Jessie...and Misty...and Tiffani...Sasha...Olivia..."

"Again," I grumbled, "I don't need to know who you're doing when you're on Earth."

"Sorry," Xander giggled, "Are you ok now?"

"Yeah," I nodded, laying my head on his chest. All of a sudden, a sharp, intense pain stabbed me in my stomach, "I think so."

"Told you so..." Lucifer hummed, "Your body's looking for something stronger, kiddo."

"Lena?" Xander looked down at me.

"You ok, Charlie?" Seth jumped to my side.

"Yeah," I shook it off, biting down on my tongue, "I'm fine."

"Are you sure...?" Lucifer, you sadistic son of a bitch, "I heard that. Not wrong. But I know better, Lena. I'm in your head."

"I'll be fine," I assured myself, "I'll be alright."

"If you say so," Lucifer materialized out of nowhere and took a seat on the arm of the throne, "Honestly, I love what you did with the place. Cheery with a touch of irony."

"Thank you," the corner of my mouth twitched, "I mean, it's Hell. There's no doubt about that, but it's a place to hang the hat at the end of the day and that's all that really matters."

"It's cozy," he shrugged, "Who'd you get to do this?"

"Morena."

"This looks like Morena's handiwork," Lucifer's praises kept coming, "I really didn't use her to her full potential."

"Let me guess," I gagged, "Just a casual?"

"Hey!" he argued, "Do you know what kind of honor it is to service the King like that? That's like being on the A-squad at the strip club and then some!"

"Being your bottom bitch?" I thought it over, "No, thank you. I'll have to pass."

"I'd never do anything like that with you," Lucifer gasped, just as disgusted by the notion as I was, "Lena, I think of you like a daughter. My list of kinks might be extensive, but that is not one of them."

"Good to know." Not that I wanted to, but it's good to know Lucifer has a little moral compass.

"Um...Lena?" Xander gave me a look, "You do realize that no one else sees Lucifer except you, right?"

"Sorry." I completely forgot Xander and Seth were still here. Whoops.

"How do you know she was talking to Lucifer?" Seth wondered.

"She's been hallucinating for a while now," Xander explained, holding me closer to his chest, "But it wouldn't surprise me if his spirit is following her around."

"See?" Lucifer chimed in, "Xander figured it out. You should promote him to more than your second in command."

"That's as high as it gets," I pointed out. Shut up, Lucifer. I don't want them thinking I'm going nuts.

"What?" Xander asked.

"Don't worry about it," I brushed him off, "How about a power nap before I go patrolling the grounds again?"

"Absolutely," he ran his hand absentmindedly down my spine, "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," I admitted, "But the blood's hitting my system, so I got that going for me. Everything's settling down."

"That's good," Xander cradled me, "Go ahead, Lena. Get some sleep. Do you want me to wake you up?"

"You're going to wake me up?" I groaned, making myself a bit more comfortable in his arms.

"Not unless you want me to." Damn, Lucifer. Maybe you're right. _I told you. Promote him._ But I can't. That'd give him more power than me and I need my underlings to stay under _. That's my girl. You make Daddy proud, sweetheart._ You're still not my dad.

"No, thank you," I felt my eyelids grow even heavier, "I'll take a long nap, please. Play me out, Seth."

"What should I play for you, your highness?" Seth teased.

"You know any Death Cab?" I wondered.

"Plenty," his soft guitar riff began and I wrapped Xander's arms around me like a blanket. Maybe I should switch the throne from a chair to a daybed. I'd have to talk that over with my interior designer. But like her brother before her, Morena had business to take care of, too. I hope she finds a cozy frat party to...entertain.

"Ahem..." the throne room doors flew open. So much for that nap, "Lena, what the hell did you do to this place?"

Come on...I just wanted a nap. Was that too much to ask for? I guess so. Slowly, my eyes started to open. Sure enough, an angry man in a dark suit stood in front of me. And he smelled so...good... _Hungry, aren't you, Lena?_ Oh, hell yes. A dirty little grin creeped across my face, "Hi, Crowley."

"Again, I ask..." he yanked me out of Xander's arms and sent him off God knows where, "What. The hell. Did you do here?"

"Isn't it awesome?" I beamed, "I did a little redecorating. I figured you weren't using this throne room, so I thought I'd take it."

"No!" Crowley snapped, pinning me against the wall, "Your brothers aren't here to protect you, darling. Welcome to my Thunderdome."

"Are you really going to take that from him, Lena?" Lucifer coached me, "Come on. You're better than that. Are we going to let what he did slide? He handed you over to Sam and Dean like you meant nothing to him."

"No," I regained my strength as Xander's blood went into full effect. Crowley wanted to play rough? I could play rough, "You betrayed me, you son of a bitch."

"You're losing your mind, Lena," Crowley pointed out, keeping his hold on me, "That demon blood problem of yours has become more of a pain in my ass than it's worth. And that's why I gave you back to Sam and Dean."

"Because you couldn't handle me anymore?" I growled. _Go on, princess_ , "Or because you knew I was getting stronger with every last drop I was sucking down from you? You knew you wouldn't be able to control me much longer."

"You think me so heartless," he went on, "I gave you back to your brothers because you've been away from them far too long. They kept you stable, Lena. They kept you grounded."

"Exactly," I glared a hole through him. _Toss him aside! He means nothing to you anymore._ Excellent idea. With a wave of my hand, Crowley was the one against the wall, not me, "They held me back. I held them back. We'll call it mutual toxicity. Now, there's been a change of management around her, Crowley. And they like me better. They don't just fear me, but they respect me. I'm taking what's rightfully mine."

"That throne is not rightfully yours," Crowley struggled for breath, "It's mine."

"And how did you get your hands on it again?" I reminded him, "Didn't you use Sam and Dean to throw Lucifer in the cage? And then, you took over? Karma's a bitch, isn't it?"

"Lena..." he begged, "Don't do this."

"Sorry," I gave him one heavy right hook to the jaw and knocked his lights out. Fantastic. As much as I loved having Xander in his place, I really missed having the good stuff around. I needed a couple of the bigger demons to get him out of here. Who to call, who to call... _Ghostbusters?_ Shut up, Lucifer.

"I'm so sorry, Lena," Xander burst back through the doors, "I ended up in some sort of cow pasture and I have seen some things that I can't unsee."

"It's alright," I let out a heavy sigh, "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"First of all," I looked over in the corner at poor little Seth bundled up in a ball, "Seth? You alright? I know coming face to face with Crowley is rarely pleasant."

Seth opened his mouth, but no sound came out. That son of a bitch...He didn't mute my bard. He did NOT mute my bard! _You want some help, Lena?_ Can you make him be able to talk again? _I sure as hell can try._ Any time now. Seth opened his mouth again, "Sorry about that. Yeah. I'm good."

Thank you, Lucifer. _You're welcome, princess._ I took my seat on the throne yet again, "Good. Now, Xander, who are the biggest demons you know?"

"I'm not sure," Xander thought it over, "I know a lot of demons. What do you need them for? Security?"

"No," I shook my head, "I want Crowley in a cell on meat hooks."

"Oh!" he chirped, "Then, you want Azza and Orias. They're pretty ruthless."

"Are they worse than Onoskelis?" Seth asked.

"They make Onoskelis look like a basket of corgi puppies," Xander cringed, "They're brutal."

"And they hate Crowley with a passion," Lucifer added, "Excellent choice, Xander. Seriously, Lena. Promote him."

"Go get them for me," I ordered, taking his knife out of his pocket. It's been so damn long since I've had good blood fresh from the tap. Xander has served as a phenomenal substitute, but it's like turning vegan and switching to soy substitutes. That doesn't mean I can't crave a little real bacon once in a while, "Seth, look away."

"Why?" Seth scoffed, "It's not like it's anything I haven't seen before. Remember? I was a vampire when I was alive. I'm not squeamish."

"It's not your squeamishness I'm worried about," I clarified, "You don't need to see me feeding on Crowley of all people. Now, look away or you're going back to your cell."

"Yes ma'am," he turned his head, staring into his corner. I ran Xander's pocket knife down Crowley's arm. Just a little bit. A little cut was all I needed. And a really big straw. Mmm...Hello, old friend. I missed you. Yeah. I'm keeping you. _What are you going to do with him, Lena?_ Isn't it obvious? I'm going to put him up on hooks, drain every last drop out of him, and start all over. Sound like a plan?

A couple of hard coughs rattled my chest. That's different. Usually, Crowley's blood felt like a warm hug in the pit of my stomach. And didn't end up on my hand…I licked my thumb off and swallowed hard. No sense in it going to waste. I'm ok. I'm fine. It's just that it's been a while since I've had blood so strong. I'll be alright. _Are you sure?_

 **A/N: So! Lena's got her best buddy back! Well…Her favorite food. I've missed having Crowley around and there's no way he's going to leave Hell unattended for so long. Someone might try to take…over…Oops. But for now, I'm exhausted and I have strong desire to lay down, watch a movie, kick back, and enjoy myself. See you next chapter! xx**


	21. Stay High

It's hard being queen. Having to make the hard decisions was really taxing on the nerves. At least I had warm blood on the way and a comfortable place to sit. Even a guy to sit and jam at my feet. Sure, I was ruling over Hell and I still had Lucifer in my head. _Did I hear my name?_ No. Go back to...Actually, Lucifer, you've been oddly quiet lately. What's the occasion? _No reason._ It's never no reason with you. What have you been up to? _Coloring._ Seriously? You expect me to believe that? _You know how your dreams have looked like acid trips lately?_ Yeah. _They were supposed to be in black and white. You're welcome._ Ok. Neat.

Despite my bright, colorful dreams, a lot had been weighing heavy on my mind lately. Like the fact I had to knock Crowley on his ass in my throne room. Did he completely betray my trust and have it coming? Oh, hell yeah. Big time. He sold me out without a thought. Although, at a time when I pushed everyone I once knew and loved away, he was there. I didn't ask for him. God knows I didn't want him at first. Even later, that's questionable. But after bonding over booze and Twinkies...I don't know. We had a really weird connection. Damn, it killed me inside to admit this, but he almost gave me the same feeling Uncle Bobby gave me. Sometimes, through our travels, Crowley really did feel like the dad I never had. I'd never tell him that, but it's true.

Regardless, I still needed to maintain the upper hand here. I just got a super badass demon army and an entire empire. To be completely honest, I had no intentions of taking over Hell. I was starting to grow accustomed to a certain lifestyle of nonstop fun, but the same one who promised it to me was the same one who handed my ass over with no remorse.

So, what do we do? We take his toys and turn them against him. As a result, I still get to do whatever I damn well please whenever I saw fit. If ruling Hell comes along with that, then so be it. _That's my girl._ I thought you were busy coloring. _You were going off on a tangent, Lena. I wouldn't miss that._ Well, go back to your coloring. You're a lot easier to deal with when you're quiet.

The doors of the throne room flung open unexpectedly, waking me from my nap. Two incredibly huge demons came in. It's alright, Lena. No need to panic. What are the odds they're here to kick my ass? Granted, I haven't had any blood in a while and I could stand a hit. Hopefully, they're not looking for a fight. Instead of putting up their fists, the duo dropped to their knees at my feet.

"Uh..." I wasn't quite sure how to feel about this here, "Can I help you lovely gentlemen?"

"Just as you requested, my queen," the left one spoke, "Crowley is up on meat hooks next to your personal chambers."

"Uh..." What the hell was happening? I mean, this was great, but I'm confused, "Cool. Thanks, guys."

"Anything for you," the right one pledged. They...weren't leaving.

"You guys can go now," I sent them off. It's weird. Ever since I got to Hell, this was the first time I truly felt like royalty. _It feels good, doesn't it, princess?_ Oh yeah. I leaned over to Xander standing diligently on my right, "Who were they?"

"That's Azza and Orias," Xander explained, "Two of Hell's most merciless. You asked them to take Crowley out of here."

"Oh!" I squeaked, "I'm sorry. I just woke up from a nap. Still not all there yet."

"I know, Lena," he pulled me off the throne, taking my place. Then, Xander brought me back into his lap and wrapped his arms around me, "I know. You don't operate so well after a nap. But that's ok. You're still the best queen Hell has ever had."

"Thank you," I laid my head in my shoulder, "And the suck part is I'm still tired. As much as I hate to say this, I think I need a hunter."

"What?" Xander froze, "Why?"

"Because of reasons," I grumbled. Normal human doctors wouldn't do for whatever's ailing me. They find abnormalities in my blood, they freak, and I don't have the energy to deal with that, "You dare question your queen, Xander?"

"No, ma'am," he dug nervously through his pockets, pulling out his knife. Without hesitation or me asking, Xander tapped his vein for me. This was like going back to a can of warm PBR after having the world's finest champagne. Xander has filled the hole since I left Crowley, but something about Crowley's blood felt better. More refined.

"Thank you, Xander," I took his wrist out of my mouth. I didn't want to fill up on bread, so to speak. Not when I had prime rib waiting for me. Not enough to leave me satisfied, but just enough to make me up. Like a supernatural cup of coffee.

"You're welcome," Xander gave me a look, "Are you feeling ok, Lena? Usually, you'll almost drink my veins dry."

"I'm fine," I pushed myself off his lap, "I have a naughty little demon to take care of. Xander, I like you. Don't ever make me put you in this position."

"Yes, ma'am."

Now...To go deal with that naughty little demon. _It wouldn't be the first time you've tortured Crowley. You did so well then. You made Daddy proud, Lena._ Lucifer, we've had that talk. You're not my dad. _Down the hall, sixth door on the right._ Thank you! I followed Lucifer's directions and peeked through the little window on the door. He's still breathing, so I guess that's a good thing. Even if he wasn't, blood is blood.

Dammit. Crowley's still unconscious. I guess I could let him sleep for now. He is about to go through more Hell than he's used to. Kind of sad to see him up on the hooks like that. It's like when I was in middle school and we got the honor and pleasure of going to a cattle farm. It took me a while before I could eat beef again. Yet I still get a craving for a cheeseburger once in a while. It was a noble sacrifice made by a noble creature. The unfortunate downside of the food chain.

"What the hell…?" I heard the chains rattling. If that wasn't music to my ears.

"Well," I beamed, "Good morning, sunshine. Enjoying your stay?"

"You're…" Crowley's breathing sounded horribly labored, "A bloody sadist…"

"Coming from you," I awed, "I'll take that as a compliment."

"Lena," he sighed out, "You know you're better than this. You're…Losing your grip."

"What do you mean?" I wondered, "My grip has never been tighter. Now, what brings you to my chambers?"

"Your chambers?" Crowley squirmed, "I came down here to check on _my_ kingdom!"

"Ooh," Lucifer rested his chin on top of my head, "Are you really going to let him get away with that? You know there are a few things you can do, right? You don't have to take that."

"Oh, I know," I focused all my energy into my hands and shot it straight into Crowley's stomach, making him writhe even more. Awesome, "What was that you were saying?"

"This…" Crowley could hardly talk. Did I feel bad? Yeah. A little. But what can I say? He has it coming, "Isn't…You."

"Excuse me?" I scoffed, holding back the most uproarious belly laugh, "That's freakin' rich."

"Why's that?"

"Because," I laughed, "You're the one who made me this way. It's very Frankenstein meeting his monster. I got stronger because of you. Once I got strong, I took over Hell. In a way, you brought this on yourself. I told you I didn't want to start doing demon blood. If this isn't karma biting you in the ass, I don't know what is."

"This wasn't what I wanted," Crowley coughed out, "We could've ruled together, Lena. There's no way either one of your brothers would, but you…You were a bundle of angst, anger, fear, self-loathing. All the fun of a Winchester but without the moral compass. I thought it would've been great."

"Well," I turned the crank on the chains, coaxing out another scream, "This is what you got. Like it or not."

"What are you going to do with me?" he worried as I circled him like a lioness on her prey.

"Well," I took a quick slit out of his arm, "I am a bit thirsty. And it's not like you're going anywhere. I wonder if you're as good as I remember."

"Make me proud, kiddo," Lucifer coached me from the sidelines. With a dirty smirk on my face, I bit down into the open wound and started going to town. I didn't want to take too much, though. The two big guys were going to finish draining him and bag it up for me all nice and neat and Crowley only had so much. They should probably keep him on iron, too. I'm sure there's a way of hooking him into an IV of it.

At this point, I didn't care. I was getting my fill. A warm sensation rushed through my veins like a hug. My head did a few spins. Damn, I missed this. Now, I remembered why I liked Crowley's blood so much. It was like a cup of tea for my soul. And when I was all done and wiped the last of it from my lips, Crowley was passed out again. And pale. Very, very pale. I guess I took a little more than my fill. I stuck my head out the door of his cell.

"Hey, Azza!" I called down the hall to the massive demon standing around, looking bored, "You are Azza, right?"

"Yes, my queen," he responded quickly, "What do you need?"

"Does Hell have doctors or healers or something like that?" I wondered.

"It does," Azza confirmed, "Why? Are you alright?"

"Yeah," I brushed him off, "I feel fantastic. My whole body's buzzing. But our pal in there isn't looking too hot. He's going to need to be kept in top condition for me. All the time. Every single moment of every single day. And he'll need one right about now."

"Yes, your highness," he bowed to me, "Right away."

"Thank you," I smiled sweetly, sending him on his merry way.

Ring, ring.

Oh, son of a bitch…That's not my phone. Crowley's passed out anyway. He's not dead, but he's definitely clocked out. I nabbed his phone out of his inside jacket pocket and looked at the screen. Gee. I wonder who Not Moose could possibly be. It'd be rude to answer someone else's phone. Then again, it'd be even worse to let it go to voicemail. I'm sure Crowley wouldn't mind, "Hi, Dean."

"Lena?!" It appears I've caught my brother off guard, "Where are you?"

"Guess," I started heading back to the throne room, "I bet I could give you a million of them and you'd never get it right."

"I don't have time for this," Dean brushed me off, "Where are you?"

"I'm in Hell, Dean," I cut to the chase, "Alive and well and hanging out in Hell. Tee hee. Rhyming's fun."

"What's your ass doing in Hell?!" he freaked.

"I got bored on Earth," I shrugged, "Crowley wasn't here, so I casually took over Hell. It was real simple. And all the demons down here that hated Crowley with a passion? They ADORE me. You know, we should hang out some time."

"Absolutely," Dean agreed, still pissed at me, "Tell me the time and the place."

"How about…" I thought it over for a minute or two, "Chicago. Tonight. Nine o'clock local time. There's a pizza place there that I've heard nothing but good things about and pizza would hit the spot."

"It's a date," his voice broke, "We'll be there."

"Awesome!" I chirped, "See you soon!"

Click.

Sure, I know it's likely a trap. Sam and Dean are going to try and convince me to come back to Earth and give Hell back to Crowley and restore balance to the universe. Honestly? I just want a nice dinner with my brothers. It's been so long since we've had that. A few years at least. I missed them. Even though I was still jacked on demon blood (and we're going to leave that little tidbit out. We'll call it my own personal insurance on the off chance that things go sideways.), I missed my brothers. Thanks to the demon blood, I was so strong that I wouldn't be their burden anymore, so I guess I could come home again.

Now…Who's going to stick around and babysit Crowley while I'm gone? I'm sure it'd be considered a very prestigious job, guarding the former king of Hell while the queen was up mingling with the commonwealth. I knew exactly who I'd get. Not Xander. I have a more special interest job for Xander. He had better things to do while I was gone. Shouldn't Azza be back by now?

"Orias!" I yelled into the hall, waiting for someone to come running.

"Yes, my queen?" another big dude appeared by my side.

"I'm going to be stepping out for a bit," I explained, "When Azza comes back with a doctor, let him in and tell him to take care of Crowley. I'm sure I'll need him when I come back. But I want you two to play nice while I'm gone. Got it?"

"Is torture off the table?"

"No," I assured, "Of course not. It's just that he's my blood bag and if he flatlines, one of you are going to be on the chopping block. Do we understand each other?"

"Yes, your highness," Orias nodded, a little glint of fear in his eye. Fun.

"Wonderful," I beamed, "You kids have fun. Don't forget to play nice. He's delicate right now."

I left Orias to play with Crowley and I made it back to the throne room. Xander and Seth were busy screwing around in the corner with a Rubik's cube. Bless those two. They're finally getting along. I heard them bicker when they thought I was asleep. Mostly their arguments were over who I loved more, but honestly, a relationship was not in the cards for me right now.

"Hey, Xander," I took him by the hand, "Take me back to the surface."

"Ok," he stumbled a few steps, "Lena, where are you wanting to go?"

"Chicago," I dragged him behind me, "Do we have a direct gate to Chicago I should know about?"

"No."

"Awesome," he brought me to the gate to Cheyenne, "Hey…Do you think you could do me a favor while I'm gone?"

"Sure," Xander got nervous, "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah," I settled him, "Just…Keep an eye on Seth, ok? He's kind of a fragile boy. God only knows what other demons would do to him. If anyone asks, he's your bitch and yours alone."

"Can do," he promised, "Be careful while you're on Earth, ok?"

"I will," I kissed his cheek, "Relax, Xander. It's Sam and Dean. What's the worst that could happen?"

 **A/N: Oh, plenty could happen. A nuclear apocalypse. Get bit by a dog with rabies. Get hit by a train. Get jumped by a dolphin. I don't think I need to go on. Or, possibly the worst of all, you could be in Crowley's position. That poor baby. I didn't want to put him through that, but here we are. And next week, we'll be in Chicago! The one city in the world saved because Death liked the pizza. I like the pizza, too. I'm going to go to bed now. See you next chapter! xx**


	22. Turn Off the Lights

**A/N: Hi, guys! Fun fact, if you didn't already pick up on my titles, every title of every chapter of this story has been a song title. I highly suggest this week's song. It's Turn Off the Lights by Panic! At the Disco. It's a very good companion piece. Enjoy!**

Oh, Chicago. It's been so long since I've seen you. After I had to leave the sweet old lady in Missouri, I spent a couple days here. This pizza place was my favorite and the best I've ever had. That's why I told Sam and Dean to meet me here. Earth's simple pleasures. But I was also smart and brought one of Hell's simple pleasures, too. A couple of applesauce pouches full of a particular Scottish vintage I've grown rather fond of. Mmm...I spun around on my barstool, waiting for the rest of my party to show up.

"Can I help you?" the bartender greeted me. Hot damn, he's cute.

"I need a deep-dish meat lovers," I ordered, "And a bottle of top shelf whiskey."

"No problem," he wrote it down and slid it across the wire, "You know, that's quite a lot of food and booze for such a little girl. What are we eating and drinking away this time of night? Bad date?"

"Family, if we're being honest," I chuckled, fully aware that I could break this guy in half. Yet, he had the audacity to call me little, "I'm waiting on my brothers to get here."

"Don't get along with your brothers?" he guessed.

"Not exactly," I shook my head, "I love my brothers. I really do. We've been fighting lately, though. Fingers crossed we can fix things tonight."

"You're family," the bartender slid a bottle of whiskey to me, "I'm sure they'll come around soon enough. What's your usual poison of choice? Something tells me the whiskey's not for you."

"Vodka sour," I gave him a look, "Whiskey's alright once in a while, though. Why?"

"Here," he mixed me a drink, "On the house. You look like you could use it."

"Thank you," I smiled sweetly, "I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome," he gave me a wink, "You need anything, let me know, ok?"

"Ok," I sent him off on his merry way.

"You know," Lucifer took the barstool next to me, "I really wish I wasn't in your head right now. Do you know how long it's been since I've had good pizza? It sounds so good."

"Sorry," I rolled my eyes, "If you want, you can enjoy it by proxy."

"Thanks, Lena," he laid his head on my shoulder, "You know how to treat a lady."

"Lucifer," I kept my voice down, "I love you, but you're a pain in my ass. You know that, right?"

"Aww," Lucifer cuddled closer, "I knew you loved me."

"Swear," I shook my head.

"So!" he chimed, "Drinking your troubles, are we?"

"You mean the big ass bottle of whiskey?" I figured, "That's not for me. Dean sounded pretty pissed on the phone, so it can't hurt to grease the wheels a bit."

"Good call," Lucifer praised, "Get them good and drunk, then BAM! Get them to tell you where one of my brothers are and drain his grace. Sound like a plan?"

"Wait," I stopped him, "You're awfully adamant about me taking archangel grace. Care to tell me why?"

"To heighten your buzz," he explained, "When you got both sides in your body, it's a beautiful, yet volatile mixture that would allow you to assume the powers of God. But the kicker? You'd end up getting me out of your head and I know you've enjoyed me being your copilot."

"It's aged me horribly."

"No," he clarified, "That's the demon blood aging you horribly. Besides, you still look adorable. In fact, you look even better now than what you did when I finally met you for the first time."

"Yeah," I scoffed, "Because I'm doped up on your minions' blood."

"That, too," Lucifer agreed, "But the whole good girl gone bad thing? You wear it well, princess."

Words I never thought I'd say again, "Thanks, Lucifer..."

"No problem," he kissed my cheek, "Now, your brothers are outside parking the car. If you need me, you know where I'll be."

Lucifer evaporated from the barstool and went back into my head. _Here I am!_ Hello, Lucifer. / _Hi, Lena. How are you?_ Just peachy. How are you? _Can't complain. I'm stuck in your noggin, but all in all, it's cozy up here._ I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. _Your thoughts are a weird place to be. Did you know that?_ Hey! There are certain things in there that are meant to be private. _Relax. I'm not paying Fredrico a visit. That's all you. I don't need to see you in that kind of light. Hey, look! Sam and Dean are here!_

Happy place, Lena. _You need me to put you in one?_ No. I'm good. It's Sam and Dean. If I couldn't handle them by now, I was in the wrong profession. I can do this. _Ok. Could I get, like, a magazine...? Or a Netflix account? No...Nothing beats a good book. Think I could get those Supernatural books? I want to see how Dad wrote me. I mean, I've seen what he did with the Bible. Yikes. But these are different._ Lucifer, shut up!

"Hi, Lena," Dean spoke softly, unable to go any louder with Sam towering behind him.

"Hey, boys," I put on a fake smile, "What's up?"

"We need to talk," Sam sat on my right while Dean sat on my left.

"I thought so," I waved the bartender down and got a couple of empty glasses. Now would be a good time for the whiskey. But then, I took a quick look around, "What? Traveling sans angel these days?"

"Cas is busy," Dean brushed me off. So quick to answer. Maybe Cas and I have a little more in common these days. Then again, I did kind of pit them against each other last time we spoke.

"Lena," Sam took my hand, "Why? Why are you doing it?"

"Doing what?" I wanted to hear him say it. I wanted to hear both of them say it. I'm juicing and it's making them worried. We've been down this road.

"You know damn well what," Dean snapped with fear in his eyes. Sweet, delicious fear.

"What?" I spoke calmly, only adding to his levels of pissed off.

"Demon blood, Lena," he snarled, "Consider this your intervention."

"I thought my intervention was back in a hotel room in Kansas," I remembered. The night Crowley sold me out.

"It was supposed to be," Sam threw back his whiskey like a champ, "But you..."

"You hulked out and left!" Dean wasn't taking the back seat here, "You know you shouldn't be on this crap, yet you're downing it like it's going out of style!"

"Sorry," I shrugged, "It makes me strong. It makes me feel good. What's so bad about that?"

"Lena," Cas popped up out of nowhere. We really do need to get him that bell, "I don't think you understand what it's doing to you. To your physical being."

"Hi, Cas," I smiled, forcing the unnecessary tears back. Hey, Lucifer? _Yo!_ Think you could do a girl a solid and get rid of that? _What? Princess doesn't want her feelings anymore?_ Hell no. _I can do a lot of things to ease your pain, but that's not one of them._ Whatever you have to do then. _Alright, Lena. I'll see what I can do._ Thank you.

"Look," Sam chimed in, "I know what you're feeling right now. Been there, done that. I know you can get hooked on the power and the strength it gives you. And I know you think you need it, but you don't. You're using it as a crutch."

"No," I thought it over, "I'm using it as the fuel for my fun. It's not like I'm hurting anyone. In fact, I'm killing demons for this. Is that not for the greater good?"

"It's a suicide mission!" The vein in Dean's forehead grew more and more prominent.

"A little hypocritical, don't you think?" I pointed out, "Coming from the biggest martyrs I've ever met in my life."

"That's for us to do," Sam tried to get his brother to settle down, but I feel like Dean could punch a hole through a brick wall. Between the anger and the adrenaline, "We've been the chosen saviors of the world since day one. Hell, we've done it a time or two before."

"Yeah," I nodded, "Martyrs. That's the very definition. It's your job. It's your job. You guys can say it until you're blue in the face, but when my brothers are busy saving the world, that leaves me to fend for myself. That's what the demon blood does for me. And I have to say it's doing a damn fine job."

"But at what cost?" Dean jumped down my throat, "That's when you join a gym, not start drinking demon blood!"

"Lena," Cas explained, "Every drop of demon blood is chipping away at your mortal soul. It will..."

"So, what you're saying," I cut him off, "If the demon blood completely chips away my mortal soul, I'll become immortal?"

"No," he went on, "It will consume you and it will kill you. You don't deserve that."

"Well, I must be the great, grand exception to the rule," I assumed, "Because I feel fine. I must be compatible."

"You feel it, don't you?" Cas asked, sending chills down my spine. He knows, "You're coughing up blood? Getting intense headaches? Experiencing hallucinations?"

Lucifer...Any time now. _Sorry, kiddo. He's got you pegged. Always the perceptive one, Castiel._ Thanks. You're such help. Dick. _I heard that._ I KNOW!

"No," I finished the rest of my drink, "I'm fine."

"You're lying, aren't you?" _She might be._ Shut up, Lucifer. No one asked you.

"No," I lied through my teeth, "I told you. I'm ok. Just riding out the power trip."

"Lena, please," Cas took my hands, "You're very sick. Come back to the bunker with us. We can help you."

"What?" Sam thought it over, "A weekend of detox and she'll be back on her feet again?"

"Maybe a little longer," Cas figured, "She has been doing this for a few months now."

"Uh..." I jumped down from my barstool, taking the boxed-up pizza in front of me, "No thanks. I appreciate the thought, but I'm good. Besides, I got Crowley on ice downstairs and I'd hate to miss that."

"Excuse me?" Dean perked up, "You what?"

"Oh yeah!" I grinned, "I forgot to tell you! I totally took over Hell. Isn't that awesome? I have a whole kingdom waiting for me when I get back. Where did you think I was while you were looking for me? I headed to Wyoming, popped the gate, and here we are. Hell's all mine. It's pretty nice down there. I just redecorated."

"Lena, no," I was waiting for him to smack me in the nose with a newspaper.

"Uh...Lena, yes," I assured, getting a better look at the angel standing behind my brother, "Oh, holy hell, Cas...You're pretty."

The three of them backed away from me. Rude. I thought Sam was about to throw up. / _You might want to be careful, Lena. Do you know why you can see Castiel?_ I'm not blind? _You're looking at his angel form. Do you know how you're doing it? I suggest looking in a mirror._ I don't understand. I checked the mirror on the back of the bar to see a pair of bright red eyes staring back at me. Those are nice, too. Wait a second. Lucifer, if I've been juicing with demon blood, shouldn't they be black, not red? _You've been juicing with Crowley's blood. If it were a lower level demon you've been drinking, then they'd be black. He's pretty high up on the food chain. And your buddy Xander is, too. As far as the incubus demons are concerned, he's upper management._ Neat.

"Lena," Cas was the only one who wasn't afraid to get close to me, "You need to come with us."

"I don't think so."

"You don't have a choice anymore," Dean put his foot down and played dirty, "What would Bobby say about this? You really think he'd be proud of you, knowing that, not only are you hooked on demon blood, but you're choosing it of your own free will? Hell no! He's back in Heaven, keeping an eye on you and disgusted by the person you've become."

"You don't think I have a choice?" my voice broke. The fact that he threw Uncle Bobby in like that brought out my inner bitch. Alright, Dean. You wanted me angry? You wanted me pissed off? Not a good idea. _Lena…Settle down. It's alright._ No! The son of a bitch played dirty. That was basement levels of low, even for Dean. The lights above the bar shattered along with the mirror and various bottles. I grabbed a pouch out of my bag and popped the top on it, "I have other things to do back in Hell, so if you'll excuse me."

Before I knew it, a blunt object smacked me in the back of my head, effectively knocking me out. Dammit...I was hoping this family reunion could've gone better, but oh, no. We couldn't have that. Heaven forbid.

 **A/N: Welp. That was fun. Nothing says excitement like a family reunion. Actually, all of my family gatherings since I was about fifteen have been hell, so…Ha! Irony. On the plus (or negative, depending on where you stand here) side, Lena's back with the boys. She's also full of Crowley's blood and Chuck only knows where the boys have taken her. We all know where they're going. We know what's going to happen. But now, if you'll excuse me, I have a bunch of pent-up energy and I'm going to get some work done. See you next chapter! xx**


	23. Fix You

Ow...Ow...Ow! Between my head and my stomach, I don't know what hurts worse. Wait a minute...Where the hell was I? This wasn't Hell. Hell was more comfortable. Hell wasn't distorting my vision (although, I think that's the headache's fault). Son of a bitch...They dragged me to the bunker, didn't they? No. This couldn't be the bunker. An actual ray of sunlight shined through the little window. If that's the case, where the hell was I?

"Nobody knows..." Lucifer sang, rattling a tin cup over the bars, "The trouble I see...Nobody knows my sorrows..."

"Thanks, Lucifer," I gagged, grabbing the iron bedframe to stabilize myself, "You've been a great help."

"Lena?" he sat with me, his voice sounding more garbled, "You ok, princess?"

"No." What the hell was this? How long have I been out? I got up from the bed and bolted for the sink. Gripping the sides with all the strength left in my body, I heaved my guts out down the drain. This isn't good. I've felt this before, but I was also going through my first major blood withdrawal. It's only a matter of time before the uncontrollable shaking starts and the fever delusions set in.

"That's cute," Lucifer looked away, coughing a few times.

"If I could punch you," I wiped my mouth off, "I so would right now."

"Hey," he brought me back down to the bed. So, Lucifer is tangible only when he wants to be, huh? Good to know, "You really don't look too hot, kiddo."

"Thanks, dick," I scoffed, catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror. The color from my face drained through my feet. Although, the redness in my eyes made up for the gray tones the rest of me was taking.

"I'm serious, Lena," Lucifer checked me over, "How are you feeling?"

"Like actual death," I curled up in his lap. If anyone were to ask about my relationship with Lucifer, I'd deny it up and down, but right now, he's really not that bad a guy. It's like he said, Chuck had a better PR team. I did a quick glance around the room. Just him, me, and a basic setup, "Where's my bag?"

"Looking for a fix, are we?" he put a hand to my cheek, cooling me off, "Your bag was taken while you were knocked out."

"Dammit," I grumbled, "Do you know where?"

"Nope."

"What about where we are?" I wondered, "I'm completely stumped. This isn't the bunker."

"No," Lucifer confirmed, "But it's warded to the teeth. I can tell you that. Angels, demons, spirits. Whoever built this knew what he was doing."

"Then, where are we?" I grew more impatient...and snappy.

"Actually," he went up to the window, "Smells like South Dakota. Can't see too much through the window, though. Does no one know what a bottle of Windex looks like?"

South Dakota? Did the Men of Letters have a bunker up here, too? They could have them all over the country and I wouldn't know. That was a Sam and Dean thing, not me. They were the legacies. I'm just an honorary member. Why would we be in South Dakota of all places? Did they think they were going to stir up warm, fuzzy memories from my childhood by bringing me here? Because a lot of those memories weren't pretty. Which led me to this, "Why would we be in South Dakota?"

"I don't know," Lucifer shrugged, "Sam's coming. You could ask him."

The creak of the door pierced through my head like a railroad spike. Wherever we were, this place needed more than just a bottle of Windex. Some WD-40 would be a good idea, too. Sam came in with a takeout box in his hand with something that smelled absolutely phenomenal. It's too bad the thought of food made me nauseous right now. Even if they were boneless wings...

"Lena...?" he kept his voice down, "You awake?"

"Yeah," my shaking started and my nausea only got worse, "I'm awake."

"Here," Sam sat with me, "Eat something. You'll feel better."

"I don't want anything," I shoved them away. Only one thing could make me feel better and I have a feeling I wasn't going to get that.

"Too nauseous to eat?" he assumed. I keep forgetting that, out of everyone in this world, no one knows what I'm going through better than Sam. I weakly nodded, trying not to get too close, "Yeah. I don't miss that. It's just withdrawal, Lena. You'll be ok."

"I know," I shook him off, "Once I get some blood back in my system, I can go back to enjoying myself. I'm thinking Cabo. Cabo sounds nice."

"Gabriel tends to hang out in Tijuana," Lucifer pointed out, "Hintity, hint, hint."

"It does sound nice," Sam agreed, "But you're not getting any more blood."

"Where's my bag?" I asked with innocent intentions. As far as he knew anyway.

"In the Impala whenever you're ready to leave," he told me, "But that's going to be a while yet."

"And where are we now?" So I can already formulate my escape plans. It'd be nice to know where the nearest bus station is, so I can get my ass back to Wyoming. I can probably pop the gate by myself. I'll go back downstairs, check on my favorite little blood bag, grab a drink, and call it a day. Then, I'll hit up Cabo.

"Same place I did my detox," Sam inched closer, "Kind of a pain in the ass to get through all the ashes, but this room was built to withstand the apocalypse."

"Wait," I thought it over, getting a knot in my stomach and a lump in the back of my throat, "Are we at Uncle Bobby's house?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "This was his panic room. Built it by himself in a weekend."

"That man..." I chuckled a bit, "Sounds like something Uncle Bobby would do."

"Bobby never was one for golf."

"But," I brought it back, "Why are you here? If I'm supposed to be detoxing from the demon blood in my body, or what's left of it, shouldn't I be left alone?"

"I'm just here to check up on you," Sam put his hand to my cheek, "No offense, Lena, but you've seen better days."

"You're damn right I have," I coughed a few times, trying to hide the blood on my fist, "If you were to give me some applesauce from out of my bag, I'm sure my stomach could keep that down."

"I'm sure you could," he gave me a look, "But you don't think we'd know better? We know what's in those applesauce pouches. That's why they went down the sink."

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" I growled, "WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!"

"Look at what it's doing to you, Lena," Sam pointed out, "You're a freakin' mess! Dean's so pissed off at you that he told me to come in here or he would've thrown you against the wall! Do you really want that?"

"But..."

"No!" he cut me off, "No is the right answer here! Because you don't need this. And you know it. I've seen you fight off vampires, werewolves, djinn, witches, demons, Lucifer himself! You can kick ass with the best of them. And that's without the demon blood."

"I took out an entire vamp nest by myself on the demon blood," I snarled, "I worked a case on my own, earned the trust of the leader of the coven, and ended them...All of them. And practically with the snap of my fingers."

I still felt kind of bad about Seth, though. He was a good dude and he was good to me. Still is. Sam started making connections in his head, "Was that vamp nest in Sioux Falls?"

"Yep," I confirmed, "Two bodies downstairs, two upstairs, human girl about my age with a few bitemarks and bruises on her left alive in the basement? You're welcome."

"And the British girl Dean and I bumped into in town that took off like a bat out of hell," he figured, "That was you?"

"Spend enough time hanging around Crowley and you'll master an accent, too."

"It was impressive," Sam praised, "I'll give you that. How many times have you slipped by us?"

"A few," I thought back, "Sioux Falls. Missouri a couple years ago. Baltimore a few months back. Remember that night Crowley took you and Dean to see Chicago?"

"Yeah."

"Ever think Roxie looked a little familiar?" I wondered, "Crowley wasn't just being a nice guy by introducing a little culture in your lives. He was testing me to see if I could handle seeing you guys again. And I couldn't. I broke down in my dressing room that night and chain-smoked half a pack of cigarettes before we left town. And got wasted in a Hostess factory the following night."

"Lena," Sam wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight like I was going to float away, "Please. Let us help you."

"Sorry, sweetie," I tried to wiggle my way free, but I didn't have the strength. Physically or mentally, "I'm beyond saving. My eyes are changing color. I'm sure my soul is in absolute ruin."

"Then, just talk to me," he insisted, "I heard you in here earlier...Just before I came in. Like you were talking to someone. Who were you talking to?"

"It was me," Lucifer beamed in the corner, "Hi, Sammy! Did you miss me? Oh wait. That's right. He can't see me."

"No one," I kept a tight lip. Just what I wanted was for Sam to think I was losing it. _Aren't you, though?_ Shut up, Lucifer. What did I say about being in my internal monologue?

"Cas was right." The final piece of the puzzle fell into place in Sam's head, "You are hallucinating, aren't you?"

Dammit. He does know. I hate that my brothers have an angel in their back pocket. _So do you, Lena._ Yeah, but you're hanging around in my head. He already thinks I'm nuts, so there's no sense in hiding it anymore, "Yeah."

"Who are you seeing?"

"Pick me!" Lucifer sang, "I know this one!"

"Lucifer," I came clean.

"Ding ding! Tell the lady what she's won!"

"How long have you been seeing him?" Sam worried.

"A while," I did the math. Hey, Lucifer? _Yeah?_ Think you could pull up a calendar in my head for me please? _You know what, Lena? You might have grown up a little street rat, but the nuns taught you nice manners. Good for them._ And they're about to go out the window and up your ass in a second _. And there she is! There's my girl! You make me proud, princess._ Shut up for a minute and give me a calendar, "A couple months, maybe?"

"And..." Sam took a look around, "Is he in here right now?"

Lucifer got up from his corner and moved closer to my brother. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at him, "He's trying to stick his tongue in your ear right now."

"Gross," he cringed, "I'm going to call for Cas, ok? He'll take care of any pain you have right now."

"Ok," I surrendered, laying my head on Sam's shoulder, "This sucks, man."

"I know," Sam kissed the top of my head, "You'll get through it. I know you will."

"Thanks, Sammy," I forced a smile amidst the radiating pain throughout my body.

"Why don't you get some rest?" he insisted, "Sleeping helps. The more you can get, the better. We'll try eating then."

"Ok," I laid down on this piece of crap bed and Sam tucked me in. It didn't take me long to fall asleep. Without all the demon blood in my body, I could hardly keep my eyes open. I was physically exhausted and it was killing me. Either this needed to leave my body as soon as possible or I needed to get another hit.

 _Hey, Lena?_ Yes, Lucifer? _You know what's coming, don't you?_ Hopefully no more throwing up or withdrawal kicking my ass? _A way for that all to feel better._ Really? Do tell. _Think about it._ Thinking...But I got nothing. _Don't prove yourself to be just a pretty face. You know you're so much more than that._ I'm exhausted, Lucifer. You think I could get some sleep? _Fine. Just know that when the opportunity presents itself, you best take it._ Got it. _You want a lullaby?_ No. You sing Stairway off key on a loop. I don't deserve that. _Fine. Good night, sweetheart_. Good night.

A little while later, I felt my bed move and my body tingle. A little bit of my aches and pains were starting to subside. This felt kind of nice. Like the same kind of energy I had when we were fighting Lucifer off. _And why do you think that is, Lena? I'll give you three guesses and the first two don't count._ Cas? _Cas_. I thought I felt the presence of an angel.

"Cas?" I spoke weakly, slowly opening my eyes.

"Good morning, Lena," the angel smiled down at me. And I'm cured, "How are you feeling?"

"A little off," I cuddled into his ribs, "But I should be ok. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Cas put an arm around me, "And your craving for demon blood? How is that?"

"I could still use some," I felt my mouth go dry. _You know what you need to do, Lena. Not to be the little devil on your shoulder, but…_ I know. Shut up. _Just looking out for you._ Shut up, Lucifer.

"That should go away in the next day or two," he figured.

"Hey, Cas…" my voice broke as my hand went to his cheek.

"Yes?"

 _Slice._

I ran my fingernail across his throat, sucking out some of his grace, but not enough to kill him, "I'm so sorry…"

Cas fell to the bed and I jumped up from the bed, feeling supercharged again. _See? I told you. You did know what to do. I'm so proud._ I hate myself for doing it, but I do feel a whole hell of a lot better. _Well done, Lena. Now, how do you plan on getting past your brothers?_ Where there's a will, Lucifer, there is a way. I think. _Didn't think that far ahead, did you, kid?_ Not really. No. Dean's going to kick my ass seven ways to Sunday when he finds out what I did to Cas. If I make it out alive, I'll be amazed. _Yeah. He does kind of like his angel, doesn't he?_ Yeah. You could say that again.

Come on, Lena. Think. Uncle Bobby's panic room was probably in his basement. Meant to withstand the apocalypse. Before you bounce out of here, you need to get your bag. Grabbing a little bit of cash probably wouldn't hurt either, but bigger fish. I found the path that Sam and Dean had already made through the rubble and crawled my way out. It appears the boys are having a moment by the car. So, they're distracted by their melodrama? Perfect. _Come on, Lena. I want to listen to them brood._ Time is of the essence here, Lucifer. I'm sure you're not missing anything. _Please?_ Ugh. Fine.

"She'll get better," Sam assured, giving his brother the other beer in his hand, "I did."

"That's you," Dean scoffed, "I love Lena. I really do, but she's…She's not like you. She wasn't meant to be brought into this. She doesn't deserve this."

"I think you underestimate her," Sam backed me up. Thanks, Sammy! Even though I'm about to grab my bag out of the backseat here, "She is definitely better than what she was in Chicago. With Cas taking care of her, Lena should be ok by tonight."

"Then, we can start asking questions."

I gently shut the door, making sure not to make much for noise. Just what I wanted was for Sam and Dean to catch me, throw me back in the panic room, and find Cas unconscious. Once I was out of eyeshot, I bolted. In a perfect world, I would've checked to see if any of the cars in the scrapyard were operational, but stealth was the name of the game here. It's times like these where I miss my pile of crap Pinto.

"Well then," Lucifer chirped, walking by my side, "Where to now, princess?"

"Wyoming." I cracked open a blood pouch. Hello, old friend.

"Then, where?"

"Back to Hell." I might kill him.

"And then…?" Lucifer was trying to coax something out of me. I hated to admit it, but I knew what I needed to do.

"I need to find an archangel."

 **A/N: Poor little Cas. I feel bad now. What happened to me. I used to be so heartless about these things. Damn, I have soul. Where did you come from? But yes! Lena's going to go look for an archangel. Might be Gabriel. Might be Michael. Might be Lucifer. Might be Raphael. We don't know. Well…We do. She's only got the trust of one. Things are about to get messy here. And I'm going to go over here. See you next chapter! xx**


	24. Fox on the Run

**A/N: *still feels bad about Cas from last week…***

It was going to be a long bus ride to Wyoming. Something about bus rides in torrential downpours, though…They're weirdly soothing. Maybe I could use a little something to settle my nerves. There was no maybe about it. I'm a damn wreck. I've fallen down a rabbit hole and I don't think there's a way out for me. Although, I will admit. Hanging out in Wonderland isn't too terribly bad.

I'm sorry, boys. I feel like I let you down. You both probably had high hopes for me. I bet you're regretting saving me from that bum under the overpass in Hartford right about now. I'm not the girl you thought I was. You say that I was an ass kicking hunter. But you should've left me die in the gutter. I'm…I'm just not that girl anymore. I'm just the family disappointment, the little blood junkie.

"Hey, now…" Lucifer wrapped an arm around me, "Don't sell yourself so short."

"I appreciate the pep talk," I kept my voice down, "But I'm not really in the mood."

"Come on," he gave me a little pop to the jaw, "Cheer up, kiddo. Look at what you got. You're one of the most powerful beings in existence right now. You have full control over Hell. All of the demons would grab their ankles for you. They wouldn't do that for just anyone. Not to mention, you're currently draining the usurper King of Hell of his blood to give you your power. Crowley might have been a pain in the ass, but he was one of the most powerful in Hell. Then, you came along and rendered him to a puddle. I'm proud of you, Lena."

I leaned up against the window, resting my warm face on the cool glass, "Thanks, Lucifer. I needed that."

"And you said you weren't in the mood for a pep talk," Lucifer teased, "You'll be ok, princess. We'll get you back to Hell, get you juiced up again, and you'll be back in fighting shape. How's that sound?"

"Not too bad," I managed to get a little smile on my face. But still, I couldn't help but worry about my boys. Sam and Dean are pissed. Dean more so than Sam. At least Sam could still face me. I'm sure that if Dean had his way, he'd be taking me out behind the woodshed and putting a bullet in my ass. Whether or not Sam would let that happen was still up in the air. I really should've taken the boneless wings with me, though. I'm starving. I feel like I haven't had…

THOSE SONS OF BITCHES STILL HAD MY DEEP DISH! If Lucifer wasn't in my head, I'd have him go get it for me. I sit my ass on a bus from Cheyenne to Chicago where I'm pretty sure there was pee on the floor and something unidentifiably sticky on the back of the seat in front of me, dreaming of a good deep-dish pizza only for Sam and Dean to keep it?! I got them the whiskey. That was for them. That pizza was mine. Dammit. Maybe I could get one of the lower level demons to do it? No. Dean's kind of trigger happy these days. I don't think that'd be a very good idea. Well, damn. I wanted some pizza. It'd be less of a risk to go back to Chicago than what it would be to get it from them.

"Excuse me, young lady," an older woman pointed to the open spot next to me, "Is this seat taken?"

"No," I grabbed my bag. _She called you young lady._ Shut up, Lucifer, "Go ahead."

"Thank you," she sat down, "It's hard on my old bones to stand for very long."

"I can't imagine." Ok. What's this chick's angle? Lucifer? You know anything? _I got nothing on her. From where I'm standing, she's just an old lady._ Alright.

"Can I ask you something, dear?" the old lady looked me over.

"Uh, sure," I allowed with great skepticism, "Shoot."

"Have you thought about where you'll be when Judgment Day happens?" Oh, fantastic. This is exactly what I needed. I bet she's an old nun and trying to convert me. Going by the rosary hanging on her purse, I'd say that's pretty accurate.

"Judgment Day came and went already," I scoffed, rolling my eyes, "I hate to break it to you. Most people don't even realize it, but it did."

It is rather ironic, though. She's trying to convert me while I got Lucifer riding shotgun in my head and I'm on my way back to Hell. _Come on, Lena. You could use a little religion._ Seriously? Are we really having that conversation? _That was a joke. And a kind of dark one on my part._ What am I going to do with you, Lucifer? _That's entirely up to you, but remember how I think of you. That's not a kink of mine._ I can think really hard on my sixth birthday. The nuns thought I was a Disney princess. It was nauseating. _Was that the birthday with the pony?_ Yes. _Ok. I'll stop. I'll just be over here._

I think I might have caught the old lady off guard. Then again, my giving a crap filter was obliterated at this point. She slowly reached for her rosary, "Have you ever thought what you'd say to God if you ever got the chance to meet Him?"

"I don't need to think about it," I explained, "I can tell you exactly what I said. I asked him which councilor of mine he was replacing. Could've sworn he was stalking me. He probably still is. Wouldn't surprise me. Given my current problem, I guarantee he's on my ass right now. Don't meet your heroes. I'll say that much."

 _Ouch. A little hard on her, don't you think, Lena?_ Someone had to tell her. I have firsthand experience. _I mean, don't get me wrong. I'm the last one to be defending the old man, but really? You'd go as far as to tell her not to meet her heroes?_ Chuck smothered me. He followed me everywhere. It wouldn't shock me if he sniffed my pillowcase a time or two. And why? Because he didn't think I could manage on my own. _That seems to be the reoccurring theme here._ Lucifer…You don't think like that about me…Do you? _Of course not. I can't just read your thoughts. That's a two-way street. Try and read mine._ Ok…EWW! Lucifer! I don't deserve you in a thong! _Teehee._

We're getting off at the next stop. I don't think I'll be able to put up with the religious old lady anymore. If I don't watch what I say, I'm going to end up telling her I'm drying out from demon blood, buzzing on angel grace, and looking for my next fix. I'd probably give the poor thing a heart attack. I might be ruling Hell these days, but even I have a moral compass. I'm not that sadistic.

Denver. Oh, Denver. How I missed you so. Alright. While we're here, I needed a drink, a deep-dish pizza (that won't be as good as the one in Chicago, but food is food at this point), and to make a phone call. _What kind of phone call?_ You know damn well what kind of phone call. I don't think Hell has its own cell tower. _No. But you'd be amazed at the kind of service you can get there._ Extender? _I think so. I don't know. I'd have to talk to my IT guys._ Hell has its own IT team? _Yeah. You sound surprised._ I shouldn't be. I really shouldn't. Let's start with that drink first, yeah? _Sounds like a plan._

There was a bar I had gone to when I came through here with Xander the first time around that wasn't too bad. It felt like home. Kind of like the bar down the road from the orphanage. Somewhere with good people and possibly hepatitis in the bathrooms. Yep. Home sweet home. Especially for a little gutter rat like myself. I took a seat at the bar and ordered a glass of whiskey. What can I say? Old habits die hard.

Across the way, a man had a kung-fu grip on the back of his girlfriend's dress. Poor thing looked swollen. Hey, Lucifer? _Yes, Lena?_ You thinking what I'm thinking? _You're calling collect?_ Because in this day and age, there's a phone booth somewhere? No, dumbass. Not doing that. The man let the girl go and started hitting on another one. So, that's not his girlfriend. Or it is and he's just a trash human being. Let's sit back and watch for a minute, shall we? The guy started yelling at the first woman. I'm pretty sure he's called her everything but her name. And then, he gives the other one a swat on the ass. Yeah, no, thanks.

"Hi." And would you look at that? Dick has the audacity to come talk to me, "I don't think I've ever seen you around here before. You new in town?"

Looks like we have a volunteer. Might as well turn up the charm. I put on the fake smile I knew he wanted out of me, "Yeah. I'm just passing through. I'll probably be gone by tomorrow."

"Well then," he put his hand on my shoulder, "Maybe we should go make the most of tonight."

"Maybe we should." I need a shower. A hot one. A _very_ hot one.

"Awesome." Can I hit him? _Not yet._ Oh, come on, Lucifer. Please? _Not yet._ You're no fun, "I got some things to go take care of real quick. Meet me out front?"

"Ok _._ " Now, can I hit him? _Patience, Lena. Remember_ _what you need him for._

Douchebag sent me outside and I kept a close watch on him. He didn't even realize it. How dumb did he have to be? Regardless, I heard his footsteps go into the alley. And he wasn't alone. Hey, Lucifer? _Yes, dear?_ How long is this angel grace in me going to hold out? _Not much longer. How do you feel?_ Not too bad. It's not burning like last time. _You have a tolerance with the demon blood. You'll be fine._ So, theoretically, I have those pretty angel powers back, right? _And then some._ Neat. I slinked back to the alley where my "gentleman" suitor had just bitch slapped the poor girl from the bar.

"What did I tell you?" he snapped at her, "I'm the only one for you. I told you not to see anyone else!"

"I'm not!" she bawled, hardly able to speak, "I swear!"

"My brother says otherwise, you little slut!"

"Um…" I spoke softly, breaking them up, "Should I come back?"

"Oh," he went back to being the "nice" guy from the bar, "Hang on, sweetheart. I thought I said to meet me up front."

"I don't listen too well," I admitted, "Are you going to hit me, too?"

"What?" Now, he's playing dumb? Please, Lucifer. Just once. _Don't give him that kind of mercy,_ "What would I do that to you for?"

"Look, man," I rolled my eyes, "You can drop the act. I'm not blind. If you don't mind, I'd like to talk to her."

"You don't need to talk to her," he shot me down, "She's nothing."

"I don't have time for this," I let out a heavy sigh, throwing him to the ground. Do you see anything I can use for an altar? _There's an empty whipped cream bowl in the dumpster._ That'll do.

"You did not strike me as the kinky type, sweetheart," he grinned, "But you seem to have the dynamic all wrong."

"Stop talking," I shut him up, feeling around my pockets for my knife, "I really don't have time for you, so if you could hold still. I don't want to make a mess."

"We can make a mess together." He's still hitting on me?

I drove my fist into this guy's mouth, effectively silencing him once and for all. I think I might have killed him. Oh, well. He was going to die anyway. I must admit, that punch was satisfying. _It looked like it felt good_. I looked over to his lady friend, shaking behind the dumpster. I needed to go that way anyway. I offered my hand to her, "Are you alright?"

She hesitated for a minute or two, debating whether or not to get up, "Are…Is he…?"

"It's ok," I assured, "He's just knocked out. What about you? Are you ok?"

"Yeah," she did a quick assessment, "Thank you."

"No problem," I helped her back onto her feet. Wait a sec. What am I doing? _Asking rhetorical questions._ Thanks, smartass. I took the girl's hands and focused my energy through my fingertips, healing her injuries.

The girl just stared at me in awe, "Did you do that?"

"Let's keep this between us," I suggested, "Ok? Now, I want you to get out of here. Go home. He won't bother you anymore."

"Just one more question," she stopped me, "Are you an angel?"

"Me?" I giggled a little, "No. I'm no angel."

"She's kind of a hybrid," Lucifer clarified, digging through the dumpster, "Oh, darn…I keep forgetting she can't hear me. Hey, Lena. Just a little FYI. You might want to settle the purple eyes down. My, oh, my. Aren't those pretty…"

Purple…? The hell? How can I not tell when my eyes are glowing? _That's the grace and the blood making sweet love in you._ Say that a little creepier next time, Lucifer. _Can do!_ I sent the girl off. She kept looking back, not sure what to make of what just happened. She wouldn't stop thanking me, though. I guess I did a good thing. Once she was out of eyeshot, I got that whipped cream container out of the dumpster and slit his throat, draining his blood into the bowl. Here goes nothing…

"Lena?" I heard a voice in my head. I knew that voice, though.

"Hi, Xander," I smiled.

"I haven't heard from you in ages!" he freaked, "Where have you been? Are you ok?"

"Minor setback," I settled him, "But I'm fine. I need you to meet me in Denver toot sweet. And bring me a blood pouch. I'm having to get by on a scrap of angel grace and it's starting to wear off."

"On my way," Xander promised.

"Thank you, sweetie!" I beamed, cutting off our connection. Now, what to do with the corpse…Salting and burning it would probably be the best, but where am I going to do that this time of night and on such short notice without a vehicle? I could just do that right here, but I feel like that'd bring unnecessary attention.

 _Are we just going to avoid the elephant in the room?_ What elephant? _The you and Xander elephant._ What about us? That's not an elephant. Right now, he's kind of my right-hand man. _Lena…Do we need to have a talk?_ What? How high are you? _You're avoiding the subject._ What the hell are you talking about? _Well…When a mommy and a daddy love each other very much…_ Dammit, Lucifer! No! We do not need to have the sex talk. I'm not sleeping with Xander. _Are you sure? He's a cutie. And an incubus demon._ Yeah. That wouldn't be a middle finger to not only my brothers, but to all of Heaven. Lose my virginity to an incubus demon. Right now, Xander runs my errands. Nothing more. That's not happening. _If you say so…_

I lit a match on the dead body in front of me and walked away. Now, if I were Xander, a demon built solely on the sin of lust, let loose in Denver when I haven't gotten any in a while, where would I be? Strip club? Cathouse? Crappy motel? Suggestions would be appreciated…Any time now…Any second now… _Oh, was that for me?_ Yes, Lucifer. That's for you. _How the hell should I know? I didn't mingle with the incubus demons. The occasional succubus, yes. But I don't know where Xander would be. Did you think to try a bar? Not all of them are skeevy like that._

"There you are, Lena!" Ask and ye shall receive, I guess. Xander ran toward me through the alley, hugging me tight, "I'm so glad to see you."

"Good to see you, too, Xander," I choked out, hoping he didn't break me, "Did you bring me a little present?"

"Just as you asked," Xander gave me the best brand of applesauce Hell had to offer. Without further hesitation, I started drinking it down like it was going out of style, "So, where are we off to? Back to Hell?"

"Yeah," I caught my breath, "Just for a little bit. Then, we need to head for the border."

And so, the three of us got on the next bus to Cheyenne. As long as I don't have any more preachy old ladies next to me, I think we'll be fine. Besides, it's a little cold up here. I'm looking to go somewhere just a tad warmer.

 **A/N: So, Lena still has a bit of a moral compass. That's good to know. She's left the boys. She's about to head back to Hell. And then, it's a trip to Mexico! Good. We could all stand a little vacation. Mexico sounds like a good idea. Speaking of good ideas, I'm thinking about when this is all over. Would you guys be cool with a kind of cheeky Destiel fic? I'm pretty sure some of you would be? I had a good idea for one a couple months ago when I couldn't sleep one night and I really, really like it. I don't know. Just something to rattle around the noggins. See you next chapter! xx**


	25. Broken

Denver was cool for a while. I could get a drink. Crowley's credit card got me a really nice hotel room and that pizza I wanted. I lived like the queen I am and the chance of Sam and Dean tracking Crowley's cards to find me were slim. I drank my last pouch of blood and laid out on my ridiculously comfortable bed, riding out my high. Lena, you need to get back to Hell. You're out of blood and you still need to get to Mexico. _I'm so proud of you, princess. Daddy's little girl off to drain Uncle Gabriel of his grace._ Lucifer...We've had this talk. Sorry.

"Lena?" Xander laid next to me, "You feeling ok?"

"I feel awesome..." I drawled, "I could use some more blood, though."

"Do you want me to open my arm for you, your highness?" he offered, "I brought a knife with me just in case."

"No," I curled into Xander's ribs, "If I start doing your blood, I'll just be strung out even more and I won't want to move and I have an empire to run. Then, I have an archangel to visit."

"You sound like you want to take a nap," Xander cradled me, "Do you want me to go back and grab Seth for a lullaby or two?"

"It's fine," I let out a little yawn, "I'll be ok. Let's just get to Wyoming and back to Hell. I'll get some more blood and I'll be ok again."

"You're still only human, Lena," he reminded me, "Albeit an extraordinary one. You need sleep, too."

"Do I?" my eyelids grew heavier. That's one of those weird perks that came with being around Sam and Dean as long as what I was. I could fight sleep like nobody's business and beat its ass into the ground. Although, a little nap wouldn't kill me. That sounded like an idea. _You know, Lena, your bedroom in Hell is still there. If you want me to show you where it is, I'd be more than happy to._ Really? I remembered my bedroom in Hell and damn, that place was comfortable. _Come on, sweetheart. Let's get you home._

"Come here," Xander scooped me up in his arms, "You're starting to run a little fever. We need to get back."

"Ok," I laid my head in his shoulder, the rest of my body going limp, "Xander..."

"Yeah?"

"I don't feel so hot," I mumbled, ready to go to sleep.

"I know," he held me a little closer, "That's the effects of the blood leaving your system. You think you could show me those pretty eyes of yours? I heard they've changed colors."

"I can try..." I blinked a few times, "Did I do it?"

"Yeah," Xander nodded, carrying me through the hotel lobby, "They're looking a little more red than purple, though."

"Angel grace is wearing off," I figured. That explains why I'm feeling more sluggish high than energetic high. Demon blood buzzes like meth. Angel grace buzzes like heroin. Who would've thought? Wait a second. Isn't there some sort of sigil that works like catnip for angels? Other than having the last name of Winchester? I could get a little more grace like that. _There is! It's, ironically, called the Horn of Gabriel._ You're joking. _Dad's honest truth._ That's fantastic. Do you know what it looks like? _You got Google, kid. Or, if you're feeling brave, you could always go back to the bunker._ And let it go on lockdown on me? No, thanks. I'm good.

"You didn't need that angel grace anyway," Xander wrote me off, "You do better with demon blood in your body."

"But the angel grace felt so..." I nodded off, my dizziness getting the better of me. _Lena? Lena, stay with me here_ , "I'm here!"

"Uh..." Xander gave me a look, "I know. Can you walk, Lena?"

"No," I shook my head, "Don't make me."

"Alright."

Holy hell, what was that all about? _You are crashing hard, kiddo. You need to get back to Hell yesterday._ How am I so tired? I haven't done much. I mean, I killed a man. Made a call to Hell real quick. _It's like you said. Angel grace works like heroin in a human. Especially when it's mixed with demon blood. What I gave you while I was still around was more power transference than anything._ But Cas said I was pumped full of angel grace. _Not exactly angel grace. Synthetically made angel grace, you could say. All the fun, none of the side effects._

I must have fallen asleep in Xander's arms because when I woke up again, things were a little warmer. My bed was a little more comfortable. Xander's still there, though. I'm not complaining. He's nice to lay on. _You like him, don't you, Lena?_ Yeah. For a pillow. _I think there might be something more here._ No, Lucifer. Shut up. _Don't you have some grocery shopping to do?_ I do. I need to take a trip to my favorite wine cellar. That nap was totally needed.

"Hey," Xander felt me twitch, "How you feeling, Lena? You alright?"

"Yeah," I nodded, "Sleep makes everything better. Now, I need a quick fix."

"I thought you'd say that," he reached over to my nightstand, "While you were sleeping, I grabbed you a blood bag."

"Aren't you the boy scout?" I awed, kissing his cheek, "Thank you, Xander. I'd promote you if you could go any higher."

 _I'm telling you. There's something there._ Shut. Up. Lucifer. There's nothing there. Would you stop _? I can't help myself! What can I say? I love a good love story. Girl meets boy in class. Boy turns out to be a demon. Demon becomes girl's right-hand man. Can someone get Disney on the phone as soon as humanly possible? Because I think I have their next movie._

"You want to go get some fresh from the tap?" Xander suggested while I finished off my blood bag, "Now that you're feeling better."

"Absolutely," I jumped up from the bed, "Besides, smacking Crowley around is always fun."

"It is," he agreed. _That's my girl. Is this what it's like to be proud of your kids? Because I am..._ Lucifer. _Alright, I'm done. For now anyway._

After a little walk through the countryside of Hell, I came upon a door with a whiny, bitchy demon on the other side, thinking he'd find some way of escaping. Instead, he accepted his fate on the hooks. But my god, Crowley looked awful and sickly. In his defense, though, he was having a lot of blood loss, so he's not entering any pageants any time soon.

"Hiya, Crowley," I grabbed a few blood bags and started filling my backpack. If I'm going after Gabriel, I'll need all the strength I can get. All he could do was twitch a little. And it didn't even look like a voluntary twitch, "Oh, don't trouble yourself for little old me. You can stay right where you are. Not that you have much of a choice."

"B..." Crowley's breathing was labored, but it looks like he still had a little bit of energy left, "Bitch..."

"Aww..." I gushed, "Me? Well, I can see where you're coming from. If only someone had listened to me when I said I didn't want any demon blood, we wouldn't be in this pickle, would we? I guess that someone needs to learn that no means no. And to not spike my apple juice."

"You're..." he rattled his chains a little, "Cracking..."

"What do you mean?" I gave him a look, "I feel fantastic. If I could, I could probably rip off your big toe with no remorse."

"Whose...grace...were you...snacking on?"

"This is going to get awfully tedious if we carry on this way," I gave a quick whistle out the door, not even wanting to think about whose grace got me by. Azza and Orias came running. Like having attack dogs. I like it, "You two know what to do, right?"

"You can smile...all you want," Crowley regained a little more strength, "You're falling apart, Lena...And you know it."

"Play nice, kids," I let Azza and Orias have their fun and popped the gate. Now...Do I get a direct flight to Tijuana from here? _Why are you wanting a flight to Tijuana? I take you more for a Cabo kind of girl._ Well, the last time I tried recruiting Gabriel for anything, he let it slip that he likes to hang around Tijuana with all his pretty ladies. Put two and two together? _And we get TJ. Ok. I see where you're coming from. I'm not surprised Gabriel would go to Tijuana._ Me either.

After twiddling my thumbs on a pain in the ass flight where one six-year-old wouldn't stop bitching about his sister taking his juice and said sister, probably around three, wouldn't stop kicking my chair, we finally landed in LA. The chick behind the counter was trying to sell me a ticket to Guadalajara, but going there would be silly when I could fly into LAX and catch a bus. Now, if I were an archangel hiding out in Mexico, hoping to all things holy and unholy that I'm not found, where would I be? Or, if I were a sugar junkie archangel that has no problem pursuing sins of the flesh, where would I be?

 _Strip club?_ Strip club. No! _No?_ No. It's Gabriel. He might be kind of a pig, but he's got high end tastes. And the son of a bitch knows how to hide in plain sight. Damn trickster. I couldn't be too mad, though. I liked Gabriel. And I'm going to feel bad about taking some of his grace from him. _All of his grace from him._ What? _I thought you knew._ Knew what, Lucifer? _You can't just take a little bit of Gabriel's grace. You need all of it._ You mean…I have to make Gabriel mortal? No. He can't do that. He has his moments where he's lucky he can tie his shoes. _Don't I know it…But I hate to be the bearer of bad news here, but you're taking all of Gabriel's grace. There's no sense in taking a little bit. Then, he comes after you, probably recruits the Winchesters, and you're back to being royally boned._

We came up on a crappy, rundown hotel on the outskirts of town. If I wasn't careful, I'd probably catch something here. This was where Gabriel would be. Guaranteed. I walked inside, my hand sanitizer at the ready, and went up to the front desk. A small, older Mexican lady stood behind the counter. I loved her already.

"Hola!" she greeted me.

"Hola," I smiled politely. Damn…I wish my Spanish was less sketchy. I only took a couple classes, "Estoy buscando…a alguien."

"Quién es?" she asked.

Maybe she already knew. Worth a shot, "Dónde está el ángelito?"

"Que?" she gave me a look, "Ángelito?"

"Lo siento," I apologized, "Pero habla usted Inglés?"

"Un poco, si," she nodded, "Porque?"

"Has a man checked in here recently?" I asked, "His name is Gabriel."

"No," she shook her head, "No que yo sepa."

 _Hey, Lena?_ Yeah? _Do you really think that, if Gabriel's in hiding, he's going to use his real name? Did you and your brothers ever put your real name to anything?_ You make a compelling argument, but given the current circumstances, could you leave Sam and Dean out of this? _I'm sorry. I'll be quiet._ I'm not saying you have to be quiet, but don't mention my brothers. _Yes, ma'am._ Gabriel is a trickster, is he not? _Why, yes. Yes, he is._

"What about Loki?" I wondered.

"Si!" her face lit up, "Señor Loki! Muy guapo…Aqui! Aqui!"

Why am I not surprised? The woman led me to a room upstairs, tucked away from the rest of them. This had to be Gabriel. Who else would check into a rundown hotel this far out, let alone under the name Loki? I gave the woman a little smile, "Muchas gracias, señora."

"De nada," she smiled back and ran off.

Alright, Gabriel. I'm sorry. I knocked on the door, "Señor Loki! Acuerdo de la casa!"

"Un momento!" Yep. That's him.

"Señor, es emergencia," I lied through my teeth.

"Un momento!" he yelled again.

"Too bad," I pushed the door in. Oh, dear god.

"Hola, chica," Gabriel grinned, clearly caught a little off guard..

"You're nude," I covered my eyes, "Gabriel, you're very nude."

"You did kind of catch me with my pants down here, Lena," he giggled, "You couldn't have called first?"

"Should I come back?" I began to suppress the disturbing images burning in my brain. _You and me both, sister._

"If you don't mind," Gabriel agreed, "That'd be great."

SLAM!

What has been seen cannot be unseen. Lucifer? You doing ok up there? _Define ok. Because if I had a physical form, I may or may not be dry heaving in the corner. I did not need to see that much of my brother today_. I feel your pain. _You never saw either Sam or Dean naked?_ No. _It'd be better than seeing Gabriel. That's for sure._ So, should we hit the bar and regroup? _Mas tequila, por favor._ Wait a second…I think I hear someone.

"She didn't see, did she?" a thick, Scottish accent asked.

"I don't think so."

Wait a second…I pushed the door back open only to have my suspicions confirmed, "That's what I thought."

"Oh…" my favorite witch kept herself covered, "Hello, Lena, dear."

Unbelievable.

 **A/N: I'm sorry you kids had to see that. Yes. Gabriel's making up for lost time with Rowena. Do we ask? No. We just let things happen.**

 **Now, onto more important matters. Can I just go on record now and say how much I love Lena and Lucifer's back and forths in her head? Because he really does care. Satan is sensitive. And loving. And his little girl might not be feeling too well…We're all worried. See you next chapter! xx**


	26. Angels Fall

"Why am I not surprised? I gagged, feeling like every other parent in the world that walked in on their kids going at it like dogs. I totally wanted to see Gabriel's naked ass today. I had all intentions of seeing Rowena wrapped in a bedsheet, too. Sure. That's perfectly fine.

"We're two consenting adults," Gabriel defended, "You walked in on us, kid."

"How was I supposed to know you were in here plowing Rowena?" I squealed, still painfully uncomfortable with my hand over my eyes.

"Gabriel and I…" Rowena began, "You see, Lena…When a…"

"I know where babies come from," I needed a drink. _Me, too. I got to admit I'm a little jealous I didn't get a crack at the smokeshow redhead before Gabriel, though._ Lucifer, you're not helping. _I'm just saying. Now I have to have Gabriel's sloppy seconds._ Lucifer!

"Why don't you leave us alone for another…" Gabriel checked the clock on the nightstand, "Twenty minutes…"

"Twenty?" Rowena whined, "Only?"

"Thirty minutes," he corrected himself, "And we can hang out then?"

"Only if I can drink on your bar tab," I stipulated.

"Deal," Gabriel agreed, "Now, go ahead. Get wasted on me."

"Thank you."

"Hey," he shrugged, "It's cheaper than paying for your therapy. Get the hell out of here and let the grown ups go back to wrestling."

"Gross," I cringed, taking his credit card off the dresser, "Thirty minutes. And at least have pants on by then."

"Thank you," Gabriel pulled Rowena back down to the bed, "Oh! And Lena?"

"What?" I smacked my forehead into the doorframe. In Mexico for a couple hours and I'm already over it. What a shame.

"Could you bring back a bottle of orange juice and some champagne?" he requested, "I'm sure you'll want a little something, something, right, baby?"

"Gabriel," Rowena swooned, cuddling into her angel's ribs, "Ever the romantic, aren't you?"

"Guilty."

"Yes," I shuddered, "Could you two at least wait until I leave the room?"

"You crashed our party, sweetheart," he pointed out, "Go…Thirty minutes. Bring back booze."

He didn't have to tell me twice. _I wonder if I could live vicariously through him. Rowena's probably a lot of fun._ Thank you, Lucifer. Not only do I have the mental image of Gabriel Banging Rowena forever burned in my brain, but now, you, too. _Throw on a little Barry White. Make her a drink._ Hey! Keep that kind of thinking to yourself please. _I can't. We live in the same head._ Damn. At least Gabriel was kind enough to buy my liquid therapy. I wonder if I can find a good bar in Tijuana. Maybe I'll get a bit adventurous and find a resort. _You? Getting fancy?_ What can I say? Crowley got me used to life's finer things. Let's go drink until we can't feel feelings anymore.

 _Remember what we're here for, Lena._ Yeah. A Mai-Tai and a pretty masseur named Juan. _No. What did we come to Mexico in the first place?_ Gabriel. _What about Gabriel?_ I need more angel grace with more juice. _Do you think he's going to give you any?_ Gabriel adores me. He always has. I don't see why he wouldn't. _It's not like Gabriel to do much for anyone that isn't himself. Are you sure about that?_ He's got a soft spot for me. I know he will. _And if he doesn't?_ Well…Force is always an option.

Regardless, I still needed a drink. It's times like these where I'm ecstatic that Dean's afraid to fly and Sam's afraid to go very far without Dean. Chuck bless their codependency. And something tells me that Cas doesn't want to be left alone with me again. Not after last time. That means I don't have to keep looking over my shoulder. Yay! I could sit and get plastered with no consequences. Actually, a little sippy sip of el sangre del diablo wouldn't be too bad.

I popped open an applesauce pouch and downed the whole thing in one fell swoop. It got the shaking to stop, but that's about it. Don't tell me I'm building a tolerance. Because I only have one Crowley and I only brought a dozen pouches with me. Calling up Xander would be a waste, but he'd be able to bring me more blood. Demon blood, why don't you make me tingly anymore? _It's because you are building a tolerance. You've been on it for a few months, Lena. This can't be that big of a shock. Why do you think the angel grace hit you harder?_ I don't know. _Drink another one. I can get you more demons._ Thank you, Lucifer.

While he was busy blowing bubbles in the corner of my mind, I drank another pouch of blood and chased it with a shot of tequila. Not a concoction I ever thought would work, but it's surprisingly not bad. The salt in the tequila made it separate, though. Oh, well. It's fine as is. I could drink some more. So, I downed half a bottle. I know for a fact that one of my brothers would be so proud of me for holding my liquor so well. Or he'd be ashamed that I could drink him under the table right now.

Despite everything going on between us right now, I missed my boys. Odds are, though, Dean will never speak to me again. Between the demon blood and stealing some of Cas' grace, if he ever looks me in the eye again, I'll be lucky. Sam has no room to judge. He's been in my shoes and didn't want to get help. He thought he was ok, too. But I know I'm fine. _That's right, baby. You got more of an iron will than Sammy does. You make me proud._ It's good to know I make someone proud. Because even I'm a little disgusted with myself. It's Gabriel. I like him. I don't want to steal his grace. _You liked Castiel, too._ I did. Don't make this harder! Leave me to my internal struggles! _If you say so._

Once I was a healthy level of buzzed, I went back to Gabriel and Rowena's hotel room with his mimosa makings and knocked on the door. I've learned since the last time. Fool me once, I see a naked angel ass. Fool me twice, I'm not seeing Gabriel naked ever again. In a perfect world, "Gabriel, do you and Rowena have pants on?"

"Depends," Gabriel stipulated, "Do you have our champagne and the orange juice to go with it?"

"Yes."

"Then, we have pants on," he assured, "You're totally safe."

"Awesome," I walked in where they were both laying on the bed, not entirely naked. This was much better.

"Now," Gabriel gave the bed a pat, offering me a spot on it, "Sit with me, Lena. What kind of business do you have with me?"

"I'll stand, thank you," I winced, knowing exactly what that memory foam remembers, "But I need you to do me a favor."

"Oh?" he wondered, "And what would that be?"

"Do you think..." I put on my biggest, cutest face I could possibly muster up, hoping that would work, "I could have a little bit of your grace?"

"My grace?" Gabriel gave me a look, "Are you high? Did someone get her fill of Jose Cuervo while she was here? No, you can't have my grace."

"Come on, Gabriel..." I batted my eyelashes, "Don't make me beg for it."

"Lena," he hushed me, "I know what's been going on. I know what you want my grace for. It's a hell of a chaser for demon blood, isn't it?"

I sat back in awe, confused as to what the hell just happened, "How did you...?"

"When Castiel recovered," Gabriel explained, "He called me. We keep in touch. Cell phones were an incredible advancement, weren't they? But all that aside, I can't give you my grace, sweetheart. I'm sorry. You've had enough for one human lifetime. You're not getting any of mine."

"So," I sat down, "You know?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "I know. I don't know what kind of demon you're getting it from, but I know you're juiced on it right now."

"True."

"Look, kid," Gabriel gave me a little pop to the jaw, "I'm not going to tell you to stop. That's none of my business. You know it's no good for you, but that's your choice. I'm not taking it away from you. You can't have my grace, though. I can tell you that much."

"Please?" I whined, putting my head on his shoulder.

"No, Lena," he swatted me in the nose, "Next time, it'll be a newspaper."

"Hey, Gabriel," I asked, "How much do you know?"

"Just that you're on demon blood. Why?"

"Just curious," I bit the inside of my cheek. He doesn't know I took over Hell, too. Something tells me Rowena would kick my ass if she knew I had her son on hooks downstairs. The last thing I want on my hands is a pissed off witch.

"Rowena?" Gabriel looked over his shoulder to find his girlfriend sound asleep, "Should I wake her? No...She put in a long day. We'll let her sleep."

"Gabriel," I cringed, "Again. I don't need to hear it."

"Lena," he took my hand, "You know I care about you. I'm not saying stop your fun train, but I do think you may need help. What's got you and the boys at odds?"

"It's not obvious?"

"Should've seen that coming," Gabriel assumed, reaching over for the champagne, "Care for a drink?"

"Absolutely."

Gabriel and I split a bottle of champagne and drank my possible addiction away. Dammit. I was really hoping to score some grace while I was here. _What's stopping you?_ A moral code. _Lena, you're more demon than human at this point. You shouldn't have a moral code. Hell, the guy that helped you out of whatever funk you were in while you still lived in Baltimore is currently your blood bitch. Don't give me that moral code crap._ Don't let him see you sweat, Lena _. In your head, kiddo. I know when you're sweating. Is it warm in here?_

"Shut up!"

"Hey!" Gabriel settled me, "What the hell did I do?"

"Nothing," I covered my ass, "I didn't say anything."

"Lena?" he checked me over, "Show them to me."

"I'm still underage," I pointed out, trying to avoid this altogether, "It's technically illegal."

"You know what I mean." I didn't like this Gabriel. What happened to the weird uncle on my mom's side Gabriel? The one that would've bought me a bottle of Boone's Farm when I was fourteen. That was someone else. Mel, maybe? She was kind of a bad influence, "Show me your eyes, Lena."

That's what I was afraid of. I focused all of my energy to my eyes, making them turn color, "Well? This is what you wanted to see, right? The monster I've become?"

"You're still in there," Gabriel assured, "But you're not alone, are you?"

"No."

"Huh," he thought it over, "And who do you have riding shotgun in your melon? No, wait! Let me guess...Hello, brother."

 _He can't see me, right? Lena?_ How the hell am I supposed to know? _Tell him I'm not here._ Ok, "It's not your brother."

"Oh, bull," Gabriel saw through us, "I know you're in there, Lucifer. What other angel would be so attached to Lena like this?"

"Dammit..." Lucifer popped up out of thin air as an apparition, "How'd you figure me out, Gabriel?"

"You called my bluff beautifully," Gabriel praised, "Thank you, by the way. Always were the gullible one. Between you and Michael, I'm not sure who was worse. I'm only going to ask you this once. Get out of Lena's head."

"And if I don't want to?"

"I have one of the most powerful witches in existence on my side," Gabriel pointed out, "I can find a spell for everything but wiping your ass. Either you get out of her head or I take you out."

"I'm so scared..." Lucifer rolled his eyes, "Whatever you say, Gabriel. Pain in the ass..."

And just as soon as he appeared, Lucifer was gone. Wait. Lucifer's gone? I'm alone in my head for a change? It's weird. I'm not sure how to feel about this. I can freely have any thought I wanted and I'll be the only one to know about it. It's that easy? I threw my arms around my current favorite angel, "Thank you, Gabriel."

"My god, Lena," Gabriel cradled me, "How long has he been in there?"

"Months," I shivered in his embrace, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he kissed the top of my head, "Tell you what. Why don't you stay here for a while? You can dry out from the demon blood and I can keep you under the radar. How's that sound?"

"Perfect," I let out a little yawn, "But I'm calling dibs on the couch."

"Go ahead," Gabriel allowed, "I feel bad for housekeeping after that."

"Gabriel..."

"Sorry," he chuckled, laying me on the couch, "Why don't you get some sleep, ok? I'll heal you as your withdrawal goes on and I'm sure Rowena can cook something up to ease the pain."

"Thank you, Gabriel..." I curled into the back of the couch and shut my eyes. Well? Just as we planned. Did I do good? _You do your old man proud, princess._

 **A/N: I'm such a dick when I do cliffhangers. But it's also getting late and I'm drained. I also have a long day tomorrow and an update to get a really big jump on. But to book club, Gabriel is an absolute sweetheart and I adore him more than life itself. Lucifer's becoming more and more of a dick. And Lena…Lena's off the rails. And probably needs a hug. See you next chapter! xx**


	27. Addict With a Pen

_He'll be sleeping by now, Lena. You know what to do, don't you, princess? Are you going to go make me proud?_ It's kind of twisted you're thinking this way about your brother. _Which one of us is sicker, though? Me for egging you on here or you for being the one about to suck angel grace out of Gabriel's throat?_ Nobody asked you. Always nice talking to you, Lucifer. _You, too, Lena. You, too._

Alright. Is it low to do this while he was asleep? Yes. Is it dishonorable? Oh, hell yes. At this point, do I care? Not really. So, how do I do this? _His angel blade. It's usually in the nightstand._ Thank you! I opened up the nightstand drawer and found three things; a phone book, a Bible (Yikes…The irony right now…Pretty sure a girl goes to Hell for syphoning an angel of his grace. Then again, I'm kind of running the place right now.), and a nice, shiny angel blade. Fantastic. _I saw you take care of Castiel. What do you need Gabriel's blade for?_ I feel like my nails aren't sharp enough to get archangel grace. _Fair enough. You do you._

Aww...Look at the little angel. Sorry, Gabriel. We're still cool after this, right? I mean, I'm sure you'll unfriend me on Facebook. Invitations to family dinners may slow down. You may end up dead. But 'll be able to feel better, so that has to be worth something. There's something about making an omelet and cracking eggs that probably fits here. Alright. How to do this...I pressed the tip of Gabriel's angel blade to his throat. Well...Here goes nothing. Out of nowhere, a hand came up and wrapped around my wrist, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Dammit, "Do what? I'm not doing anything."

"You really are sick, aren't you, kid?" Gabriel sat up while Rowena stayed sleeping next to him, "You are an absolute mess."

"I still have your blade to your throat, Gabriel," I reminded him, making sure he knew the threat looming over his head, "If I were you, I wouldn't piss me off."

Snap!

"No, it's not," he clarified, leaving me empty handed, "Do you really think I'd have my real angel blade that close to me? With the amount of people that probably want me dead? Can't take the tricks out of the trickster."

"Should've known," I rolled my eyes.

"Now," Gabriel sat me on his lap, "What is wrong with you, Lena?"

"Nothing," I moved over to the bed, weirded out by why the hell Gabriel would have me on his lap in the first place, "I'm fine."

"No, you're not," he saw right through me, "I can speak Winchester. I know what I'm fine means. You, my dear Lena, are far from fine. How many other angels have you...?"

"No," I took my own knife out of my boot, cutting him off, "Do you know the kind of power I have now? Do you know what I have at my disposal? Hell, Gabriel. All of Hell. It's all mine."

"You didn't answer my question," Gabriel zapped my knife away, too. Dick, "How many other angels have you siphoned grace from?"

"Just one," I growled, "And I'm about to make that count up to two if you'd suck it up and cooperate."

"Who?"

"No," I shut my mouth, "We are not doing that, Gabriel. Don't you get in my freakin' head like that."

"Who was it, Lena?" Gabriel stood his ground, "Which one of my brothers and sisters did you hurt? I want you to say his name."

"Does it even matter?" I snapped, "What's done is done. And it's wearing thin right now. Give me more or I'll end you right here and now."

"Lena," he tried getting through to me and he knew exactly who. I only knew one angel, "Who was it?"

"You know damn well who," I looked down at my feet. I didn't even want to admit that to myself. What made him think he was so special that I'd tell him?

"They will kill you," Gabriel's voice shook, "You do know that much, right?"

"They won't be able to touch me," I reached into my bag and popped open an applesauce packet.

"Really?" he gave me a look, "Now's the right time for a snack? You just tried to lay into me and you're going to...Oh, God..."

"What?" I slurped away, my body settling.

"That doesn't smell like applesauce," Gabriel gagged, "Do you really have to...feed...here? And on...that?"

"What?" I see I found an archangel with a weak stomach, "I'm not feeding on anything. I'm thirsty and withdrawal is worse than Hell. Hell's gotten a lot nicer since I redecorated. It's not like I summoned a demon here, cut them open, and started going to town. I could do that, too, if you want. I got an incubus on standby."

"No, thank you," he suppressed any inkling he may have of throwing up, "I'd rather not watch that either. But if we're picking between the lesser of two evils here, enjoy your applesauce. Damn, demon blood smells awful."

"But it tastes so good," I groaned, "Then again, this is a very special vintage, so not the average, run of the mill demon."

"You really are beyond saving," Gabriel put an arm around me.

"I don't need saving," I came back around. It's amazing what a little demon blood in me does, "Like I said, I'm perfectly fine."

"You almost killed me, Lena," he reminded me, "Remember that? You thought you had my angel blade on my throat and you were going to siphon my grace to keep your high going?"

"Good times." I wasn't sure if I wanted a cigarette or a glass of scotch after this.

"Sam called me and told me you were coming," Gabriel admitted, "After they found Castiel on the floor of the room you were detoxing in, which, that was the correct answer I was looking for."

"Sorry," I shrugged, still feeling that guilt in my chest. Looks like it's time for another pouch of blood. I can always pop back down to Hell for more. Or I could kill another dick that no one would miss in a dark alley and call Xander. We really needed to get him a cell phone. It's not like Hell doesn't have excellent coverage.

"Cas figured you'd come after me," he went on, "Since I am the only other angel you know. Not to mention, I love my little brother dearly, but I am more powerful than he is. Thanks for not completely draining him, though. That probably took some serious restraint on your part."

"I didn't want to kill him," I explained, "I like Cas. He's a sweetheart."

"Not to mention," Gabriel chuckled, "if You were to kill Castiel, do you know the kind of wrath you'd be bringing down on yourself?"

"Are you kidding?" I scoffed, "Chuck adores me, no matter what I do, so I think he'd manage to forgive me."

"I'm not talking about Daddy dearest," he corrected me, "I'm talking about your oldest brother. He'd make sure there was nothing left of you to burn after something like that. Cas has told me a few things in confidence and most of them are about Dean. Dean would kill for Cas in a heartbeat. Especially if someone killed him first."

"I hope those crazy kids work out," I sighed out, "They're cute."

"Can't say no to that," Gabriel agreed, "They are. In that suppressed, tense, denial, will they, won't they kind of way, but one day, one of them will grow the stones necessary to make it official and everything will be just fine. Wait a second! Don't try to distract me like that."

"Can't fault me for trying," I giggled.

"But," he wrapped his arms around me, "Don't think they're ever going to let you go."

"Why not?" I groaned.

"Because you've managed so well on your own," Gabriel pointed out, "Look at you, Lena. You stole grace from Cas. You've been drinking blood from strange demons."

"Not strange demons," I cut him off, "If Crowley wouldn't have gotten me hooked on it in the first place, we wouldn't be in this situation."

"My point exactly," he squeaked, "You've grown up a lot, kiddo, but you're still pretty impressionable. Not to mention, you're family. That's kind of what your brothers do. I don't understand it, but they've taken a shine to you over the year you were with them."

"Unfortunately."

"And that attitude right there is what got you in this situation in the first place," Gabriel started getting mean, "Now, if you'll quit being such a brat, suck it up, and go back to them to get the help you so clearly need, everything will be just fine."

"Gabriel," I could get mean, too, "I suggest not getting in my face."

"Or what?" he scoffed, "What are you going to do?"

"I'm juiced right now," I growled, "Do you really want to test that?"

"You need to quit running from them, Lena!" Gabriel was already done with me, "You forget what I am? What I can do? You're still human, no matter what you're on."

"Don't you think you're being a little hypocritical here, Gabriel?" I wondered, "Didn't you run off on your family, too?"

"That's not..."

"And you're still running," I dug deeper, "Aren't you?"

"Ouch, kid..." Gabriel stopped, "That hurt."

"I'm out of here," I grabbed my bag off the couch and slung it over my shoulder.

"Lena," he assured, "You will be ok again."

"What do you mean?" I rolled my eyes, "I'm fantastic right now. Later."

And just like that, Mexico was an absolute bust. Dammit. I really was hoping to score while I was here. _Forgetting something, are we?_ Not forgetting it. Leaving it. Gabriel pulled some below the belt crap back there and I need to regroup. _Regroup?_ Or recruit. Not quite sure which one yet. But I will be back for him. Come on. We need to get back to Wyoming. I could use some blood fresh from the source and a good massage. Maybe a drink. I'll decide when I get there.

 **A/N: Look, guys. I'm sorry this is up so late. I do have a legitimate excuse. There was a killer storm that went through here and some of my work got lost when our power went out. There's powerlines out all over town. I got big ass limbs down in my yard. There was one that was about a foot away from busting my basement window. Everyone's ok, though. Luckily, I could still manage an update. Yay! And to make things even better, we'll be going back to Hell! Yay! Only in the Supernatural fandom would going to Hell be considered a good thing.**

 **Now, onto more important business. I'm going to be leaving for Michigan in a few days, so I'll have to leave you with a babysitter. And by babysitter, I mean, I'll still be posting next week. Don't worry. I just thought I'd give you the heads up. And if you happen to see me out and about, don't be afraid to say hi. Keep an eye on my Twitter or my Instagram to find out where I'll be. I promise I'll be keeping you posted. I love you. See you next chapter! xx**


	28. God Save the Queen

**A/N: If you're reading this, I'm currently in negotiations with a cult leader wanting to take me to a higher existence. He's definitely a charmer, there's no doubt. His voice…It sends chills down my spine. And those eyes…I couldn't help but get completely lost in them. No matter what he says, he's hypnotizing. Every word sets my soul at ease while simultaneously setting my heart on fire. This feeling…My god…This feeling…There is no successfully describing it…**

 **I need to learn to not write to good ASMR videos.**

 **But anyway, if you are reading this, I'm away from my desk right now. I'm currently in Michigan and I'll be gone for another couple days. I'll be back by next week, I promise. And we'll probably be ending the story then and there, too. So, I'm going to let you read and I'll meet you at the bottom. Ok? Okie dokie. Hehe…I like him. He says okie dokie. I'm sorry. I'll see myself out.**

God, I hate buses. Public transportation is its own special kind of hell. People? Too many. Gross. The smell? Mother of holy...Especially this bus in particular. If that's not piss on the floor, someone's lying. That's all I can smell in this hot, cramped space; piss, sweat, and dirty feet. It's times like these where I missed my car. She's probably sitting back at the bunker. There's no way Dean would let her sit anywhere else. Hell, right now, I'd even settle for the piece of crap Pinto. Anything but this freakin' bus.

I can complain all I want. This wasn't too bad. Minus the minor inconveniences. The Mexican sunrise was truly a sight to behold. The beautiful cocktail of reds and oranges blending together in such a breathtaking gradient. It's too bad I had to enjoy this alone. I could see first kisses happening to a sunrise like this. Or I'm just a hopeless romantic.

By the time I got to LA, I was thinking about a nap. The mere concept of sleeping on that god-awful bus made me gag. There had be a guy staring me down most of the way like I was his next meal. If that wasn't enough to keep me up, nothing was. So, I'll take Crowley's credit card, find a really nice hotel, catch a bit of sleep, maybe a massage and some top shelf scotch. Then, I can hightail it back to Wyoming. I'll stock up on more blood, pay Crowley a visit if he hasn't bled out yet, come up with a better plan to get Gabriel's grace. It'll be great.

Let's see...LA doesn't have a shortage of ridiculously nice hotels. And eating real food couldn't hurt. I found a hotel with ivory towers and checked into the presidential suite. For some reason, when they saw the name on my card, they started treating me like a damn queen. Not that I'm complaining. After the hell I went through on that bus, I deserved it. I don't know why I'd be surprised. This is LA. I'm sure there's no shortage of crossroads demons around here. I guess I should know where all the demons on Earth were hiding since I am their boss now. Or should I say I'm the boss of their boss? I may not know how the chain of command goes, but I know that I'm on top. That's all that matters.

When I got into my room, I immediately flopped down on the bed. My god, I like this place. If by some act of God I end up back with Sam and Dean again, I don't know if I could go back to the more, uh...Let's just call them quirky motel rooms. Crowley's got me spoiled. Between the nice hotels and the top shelf booze and the demon blood, I've grown accustomed to a certain lifestyle now. And I never want to go back.

All I did was shut my eyes and I was out cold. This was nice. Even Lucifer knew how exhausted I was, so he was kind enough to leave me alone. He's in the corner with a Rubik's cube at this point. Everything's good. The boys have no idea where I was. I still had a couple pouches left. Room service was on its way with coconut shrimp and brandy. Everything was fantastic.

"Lena..." a familiar voice woke me up, "Wake up, kiddo. We found you."

We? Ouch...Why do I feel I just had my ass kicked? Where was I? This wasn't my hotel anymore. I'm definitely not in Kansas anymore. That's for sure. Whoever decided to kidnap me is definitely going to regret it and I'm going to make damn sure they do not have a very nice day. Come on, Lena. I know you're dizzy and I know you're a little fuzzy right now, but open your eyes. Get your bearings again.

"Where am I?" I murmured.

"Take a guess," the voice scoffed, "Who else would be coming after you? You've just become another monster."

"Hello, boys," I assumed, "I'm guessing Sammy's here, too."

"He went on a supply run," Dean sat at the edge of my bed, "You just got my pretty face."

"How'd you find me?" I wondered, hoping small talk would take some of the heat off me.

"Since you're full of angel grace," he growled, "And we just happen to have that angel on hand, all it took was a little tracking spell. I didn't think we'd find you somewhere so vapid like LA, though."

"I was border hopping," I shrugged, starting to come to a little better, "I thought a little time in Mexico could be good for me. Fruitless, but good. And I got demons all over LA in case I needed a snack."

"Why, Lena?" Dean snapped, trying his best to keep his hair trigger temper under control, "He was trying to help you. He went into your room to heal you. I told him not to. I told him that you should go through all that pain. All the hell that the withdrawal would put you through. I thought you deserved it. It'd be a good deterrent for if you ever wanted to fall off the wagon. No, Dean. The pain of demon blood withdrawal is excruciating. She's sick. She doesn't deserve it. What does that idiot do? He goes in to help you. How do you repay him? You zap some of his grace! Because, what, demon blood wasn't good enough for you? You were looking for bigger game?"

"Dean, please," I tried to stop him.

"No," he went on, "You're going to sit and listen. The only reason you're still alive right now is because Sam took the demon killing blade with him and my gun. I'm through giving you chances, Lena. This is the last one and it's not me giving you mercy. So, you can thank Sam when he gets back."

"I'll put him on the Christmas card list."

"Lena," Dean balled up his fists, "I will not hesitate to deck you right now."

"You don't happen to have my bag with you, would you?" I asked, in need of a little drink.

"No."

"Damn," I pouted, "Dammit, Dean. You took me out of my hotel, didn't you?"

"Yep."

"I had room service on the way," I whined, "I had coconut shrimp and good brandy coming."

"The shrimp was pretty good," he shrugged, "Haven't had the chance to crack the brandy yet."

"Look," I sighed out, "I know you're calling me every name in the book in your head right now. Between what I did to Cas and running off on you and stumbling down this little path I've taken, I deserve it. But do you think that, just for a little while, we can put all that aside and crack that brandy open? I'm sure I'm not the only one that could use a drink."

"And why should I do any favors for you?" Dean glared through me. The look in his eyes was almost primal. He wanted me dead. I could feel it. He looked at me like I was any other monster. Never did I ever think I'd be on the receiving end of it.

"I'm not asking as a favor," I clarified, "I'm simply sharing a bottle of good brandy with you. Please?"

"It goes against my better judgment," he grabbed a couple of glasses, "But what the hell? A drink isn't going to kill me. This isn't spiked with anything, is it?"

"Nope," I shook my head, "Just good, old-fashioned brandy."

"Good," Dean opened the bottle and started pouring. He took the first shot for himself. A little rude, but given the circumstances, I'll allow it. Then, he slid a glass to me, "Here."

"Thank you," I savored every little drop. Mmm...That was warm all the way to my belly.

"Dean," a deep, rough, tired voice broke the silence, "Are you doing alright?"

"What are you doing out of bed?" Dean jumped up, "I told you, Cas, you need to save your strength."

"I'll be fine," he brushed him off, "Is she awake?"

"Yeah," Dean nodded, "I'm pretty sure the sedative wore off by now."

"Sedative?" I chirped, "When did I get one of those?"

"When we got you from your hotel room," he explained, "You might be full of demon blood and angel grace and God only knows what else, but you're still physically human. You are still human, aren't you?"

"I'm not sensing anything else in her," Cas reported, "Even what little of my grace was in her is starting to subside. I imagine the demon blood will be next."

"Hey, Cas," I sat up, taking another drink, "You want to come sit and throw back a few with us?"

"He's going back to bed," Dean demanded, "I don't care if I have to drag him there myself."

"You don't have to drag me, Dean," Cas assured, "I will go back to bed soon. But first, I needed to tell you something. That mediator you asked me about."

"Oh!" Dean lit up, "What about him?"

"He said he can make it. He'll be here within the hour."

"Good," he sighed out, "We'll need all the help we can get."

"What would you need a mediator for?" I asked, as if I didn't already know.

"We don't have many options left," Cas sat with me, much to Dean's chagrin, "But we're going to try the intervention one more time. After that, Sam and I won't be able to hold Dean back any longer."

"Just what I want," I admitted, "Dean Winchester tearing my ass to ribbons. No, thank you. I'll take the withdrawal."

"There is something different about you, though," he looked me over, "I can't put my finger on it."

"It's the crown," I smirked, "Ruling Hell has done wonders for my skin, too."

 _Hey, Lena? Remember me? Friendly neighborhood Lucifer?_ Hi, Lucifer. What can I do for you? _Pissing off your big brother may not be such a good idea. Especially with what's going through his head right now._ What's he going to do? I got one of those faces that sticks in his mind like glue. _Or a thorn, in this case._ He won't touch me. _I'm not so sure about that._ Oh, trust me. I'm fine. _If you say so_. Go back to your Rubik's cube, Lucifer. I gave you that, so you'll have something to occupy yourself with. _Yes, ma'am._

"Is it?" Dean gave me a glass of water, "The booze'll dehydrate you. You'll need this."

"Now, you're doing me favors?" I wondered, "What's the occasion?"

"Just drink," he shut me up, "If Sam comes back and finds you dead, he'd think I did it and never forgive me."

"Fine," I took one drink of water and it tingled my insides, "Dean..."

"What?"

"This is holy water, isn't it?"

"It might be," he brushed me off, "Just wanted to see if you'd burst into flames or not."

"Dean," Cas scolded him, "She's sick. If she would've, you wouldn't forgive yourself."

"I don't know about that," Dean's opinion of me wasn't changing. He might as well come out and say he's disowned me. He tightened the cuffs around my wrists and ankles, "I'll be right back."

"Putting the baby to bed, are we?" I asked.

"Yes," he nodded, throwing his angel's limp arm around his neck, "Come on."

"Dean..."

"We're not arguing, Cas," Dean's voice dropped an octave, "I'm taking you to bed whether you want me to or not. Even if I have to carry your ass upstairs."

"Fine," Cas wasn't going to put Dean in that position. They're both tired. God only knows when the last time Dean got any decent sleep. Maybe the two of them could grab a nap once Sam gets back. He'll be the only one that understands me enough to get me out of here. In which case, I can go back to Wyoming, pop the gates of Hell, and continue with my doomsday plan.

Actually, shutting my eyes for a while wouldn't be a half bad idea either. It's not like I can go anywhere. If the holy water incident was any indication, I can feel the effects of any devil's trap, too, I'm sure. Yeah. I'm not moving. Dammit. Why do the boys have to think of everything? I've got demon in me. I got angel in me. I think I'll be ok. Just half an hour or so should put me back on track.

"Hi, Lena." Oh, crap, "Long time, no see. That you've known anyway. I check in from time to time. Probably shouldn't have waited so long before I see you again."

 _Yippee._

"Lucifer, leave her alone. Out of her head right now."

"Why can't you leave me alone?" I groaned.

"Not happening."

"Ugh," I shut my eyes, waiting for this nightmare to be over. The sooner, the better. I'm not surprised that _he's_ their last-ditch effort. This really was a divine intervention, "What do you want from me, Chuck?"

"Let me love you," he begged, "Lucifer, I said now."

 _Sorry, Lena. Dad's no fun. It's been nice hanging around with you for the past couple months._ I'll miss you. _I'll miss you, too, princess._

"Now, Lucifer." Loud claps of thunder started rumbling outside.

 _Ooh...Daddy's getting real scary now. Not even letting me say my goodbyes._

"LUCIFER."

 _Fine! I'm going!_

"A couple months?" Chuck gasped, "Oh, Lena, Lena, Lena...I thought you were better than this."

"Not the first time I've told you that you think too highly of me, Chuck," I reminded him, "Demon blood's too damn good."

"Just when I thought your nicotine problem was the main headline," he shook his head, "Maybe the alcohol, but we're all entitled to a vice. Just not demon blood, ok?"

"Why not?" I scoffed, "This feels better than the booze and the cigarettes together. And the added bonus of being superhuman? Yeah. I'll take more of that."

"Crowley's pretty pissed," Chuck sat with me, "I had to take care of him first. That should've been the first red flag in your mind. And maybe when you decided to rule Hell..."

"What can I say?" I shrugged, "I liked the power trip. All the demons at my feet, Crowley on meat hooks...Life was good."

"No," he gave me a little swat on the nose, "You do know I'm not leaving you for a while, right?"

"I kind of figured," I rolled my eyes. Joy. Just what I wanted. One on one counseling with God. Not many can say they got that. I can think of one who doesn't want it. Oh, if the nuns could see me now.

"You really should stay with them, you know," Chuck wrapped an arm around me, "Sam and Dean are good for you. That's why I put you in their path in the first place. Because not only are they good for you, but you're even better for them. And they needed that in their lives. Why would you leave like that?"

"I'm not in the mood for this, Chuck."

"It's a good thing I got all day then." He really wasn't going to give up on me, was he? I will say this. Out of all the social workers I've ever had, Chuck is definitely the most tenacious.

 **A/N: And I'm back! Leave it to Chuck to come in to save the day. Dean's a little bitchy, but right now, he's got every right to be. And I'm kind of proud of Cas for being the ever-forgiving soul. He knows she's sick and trying to drill that into Dean's head, but we all know how stubborn Dean can be. I still love him, though. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have one more update to finish in writing time (which is last Saturday for those of you in real time). See you next chapter! xx**


	29. Home Sweet Home

**A/N: Hi, guys! I'm back! To summarize, my trip sucked. I would've much rather stayed home with you guys and the cult leader from last week. But I don't know why I expected anything different. You're not here for my whining, though. You're here for Sam and Dean's whining. For Lena's whining. Hell, for Lucifer's whining once in a while. And to Bittersweet, about Lucifer…Well…You're just going to have to wait and read the chapter now, aren't you?**

Didn't Sam and Dean know Death personally? I'm sure they've met a time or two before. With the amount of times those two have died and not died, I'm sure they've crossed paths at least once or twice. Maybe Death could do a girl a solid and end me right now. I knew withdrawal would claim me shortly and quite frankly, I didn't have the intestinal fortitude to deal with that and the boys and Chuck today. Death, if you're listening, I'd really appreciate it if we could have a little heart to...whatever it is reapers have...and get me the hell out of here.

Any second now...

Any minute now...

Hello?

Death?

Son of a bitch. Sam and Dean probably have this place warded. So much for that Idea. I'm going to have to sit and suffer with...well, God. He stared me down like a disappointed parent and I couldn't stand it anymore. I stared back at him with the same discontent, wondering which one of us would break first. All I knew was that it wouldn't be me. After years of practice with every therapist in a hundred mile radius of Hartford, I'm a stone wall. Good luck, Chuck. You'll need it. Just you and me in this cramped little room.

"Still not talking to me, huh?" Chuck figured, pulling up a chair.

"Nope," I kept up my being an insolent bitch quite nicely. Chuck was going to have to try a bit harder than he was now. Like I said. Stone wall.

"Alright." His patience wore thinner and thinner by the second. Chuck could pretend all he wants. His eyes can't lie to me. There was an anger, a fire even, hiding in his gaze. If he could without repercussion, Chuck would smite me right here and now without any hesitation, "Withdrawal should be setting in soon anyway. I'm sure you'll talk then."

"You think so?" I kicked my feet up on his leg.

"I know so," Chuck confirmed, "Your last dose of demon blood was a couple hours ago. You must be getting the itch for some."

"Nope," I shook my head, "I still feel pretty ok."

Could I go to Hell for lying directly to God's face? What am I saying? Of course I will. Not that it makes much of a difference, though, if I end up in Hell. Hell has demons. Hell has Crowley. Hell has my throne and my crown. If I were to die right now, I'd get a fast pass to the fiery depths below. In that case, I'd be out of here and I could juice up again. Go ahead. Kill me, Chuck.

"I know better, Lena," Chuck shrugged, "It's already starting, isn't it?"

I could already feel a twinge in my major muscle groups. Everything was ready to shut down. I bet I already had a fever going on and I'm sure Chuck would be able to sniff that out from a mile away. I couldn't let him see me falling apart. But I did want to lay down, though. Not out of weakness, but because sitting up gets tiring after a while.

"No," I stretched out on the bed I was so kindly handcuffed to. Thanks, boys. I'm glad to see you trust me. I understand, though. I have been a bit of a flight risk for you lately, "I told you. I'm fine. This whole thing is absolutely ridiculous and I shouldn't even be here."

"Ridiculous, huh?" Dammit. Chuck's going to go all guidance counselor on me, isn't he? This was not my day, "I didn't want to do this to you, Lena."

"Do what?"

"You say you're fine, right?"

"Yeah."

"Were you fine when you slit Castiel's throat for his grace?" Chuck played dirty. Chuck played unnecessarily dirty.

"That was low, Chuck..." I grumbled under my breath.

"What about what you've done to your brothers?" he kept pushing, "Do you know how worried they've been about you? For the last two years?"

"You're not getting to me, Chuck." This is the part where the guy narrating my life comes in and says that he was, in fact, getting to me.

"Or Crowley?" Chuck would not let up, would he? He really did see me when I'm sleeping and knew when I was awake, "He came to you out of the sheer kindness of his heart. The King of Hell, himself. He came to you looking for nothing but your friendship. He wanted to help you, too."

"What about him?" I snapped, "If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be in this mess in the first place, so I wouldn't say his intentions were as pure as you seem to think they were."

"What?" he perked up, "What do you mean?"

"The son of a bitch drugged me," I growled, "I was totally cool with us being buddies. Hell, sometimes when we were hanging out, it was actually kind of fun. I'd break into a Hostess factory and get drunk with him any day of the week. It's when he put demon blood in a bottle of wine that things started taking their turn. If I were him, I don't think it'd hurt my chances of survival to have a Winchester jacked on demon blood on my side."

"So, you're saying this is all Crowley's fault?"

"Isn't everything?"

"Not everything," Chuck thought it over, "Sometimes, it's your brothers' faults. Right now, that's not what we're focusing on."

"Personally," I scoffed, "Crowley's getting exactly what he deserves right now. His plans blew up in his face and when he got scared, he ran crying to Sam and Dean. That's how we ended up here."

"He's dying, Lena."

"And? He has it coming. How many times have Sam and Dean told Crowley that they were going to kill him, but they never had the stones to do it? I'm just doing them a favor."

A quick twinge of pain shot through my stomach. Uh-oh.

"Lena," he begged, "I want you to relinquish your throne in Hell."

"But why?" I whined, "I like my throne in Hell. I just redecorated and it looks so nice down there. I even got a new cushion and it's even more comfortable than the one Crowley had. I like ruling over Hell."

Chuck let out a heavy, exasperated sigh. Yeah. He's done with me. I can tell. Good. Because the withdrawal was about to kick into overdrive and he didn't need to see that, "You're really going to make me do it, aren't you?"

"Do what?"

"Since I can't seem to get through to you," he decided, "I'm really going to have to throw you to the wolves here, aren't I?"

"Last I heard," I reminded him, "Sam's on a supply run and I'm pretty sure Dean and Cas are spooning somewhere in the bunker, so...what are these wolves of which you speak, Chuck?"

"So cocky," Chuck giggled, "You forget who I am sometimes, Lena."

Snap!

"Oh, pumpkin, I love you, but dammit, could I throttle you right now..." Uh-oh. I'd rather withdrawal. Can we go back a few seconds? Chuck, could we get a do-over? That'd be really cool of you. Hell, if you want, you could probably make my withdrawal worse. I'd much rather that. No, Lena. Keep your cool. You've had this man wrapped around your finger since the day you were born. How mad could he possibly get?

"Sorry, Uncle Bobby," I turned up my charm and played up my innocence, hoping he wouldn't be too hard on me.

"Demon blood, Lena?!" Uncle Bobby scolded me, "Demon blood?! I thought I raised you better."

"To be fair," I pointed out, "You never told me about any of this. You just gave me an aegerine crystal and told me to be careful."

"I thought the demon blood part would've been implied!" his tirade went on.

"She's moved on to angel grace, too," Chuck stuck his nose in where it didn't belong.

"And angel grace?" Uncle Bobby sat down, "Who? Was it just some random angel?"

"It was Castiel."

Dammit, Chuck. Learn to keep your mouth shut, "Lena..."

"Yeah?" I quivered a little, the collar of my shirt drenched in sweat. Things were getting worse. I needed another fix.

Uncle Bobby looked me over, "Are you feeling ok? You look like you're about to throw up."

"I could," I agreed, getting punched in the face with overwhelming dizziness and one bitch of a migraine.

"She's going through withdrawal now," Chuck filled him in, "I figured you'd be able to help with that, Bobby. And tearing her a new one, too."

"Can't you take care of her?" Uncle Bobby requested.

"I've been working on it," Chuck assured, "And she's getting there. But we have to wait for the blood to be completely out of her system before we can do anything."

"I need some painkillers," I begged, "Please?"

"What's hurting, pumpkin?" Uncle Bobby wrapped his arms around me.

"Everything," my body grew weaker, "Uncle Bobby...It burns..."

"I know, sweetheart," he held me closer, "I know. But you have to fight it. You can get through this. I'm sure you've been through worse."

"You had Lucifer in your head for a few months, Lena," Chuck reminded me, "If you could deal with that, you can do anything."

"Lucifer?" Uncle Bobby perked up, "Like...Lucifer, Lucifer?"

"I already banished him out," Chuck promised, "She's got enough on her plate. I wish there was something I could do to ease your suffering, Lena, but right now, you just have to wait it out."

"You'll be ok, baby," Uncle Bobby assured, "I wish I could tell you it'd be quick, but maybe it'll knock a little sense into you and you won't touch the stuff again."

"I won't," I winced, "Owie! Uncle Bobby, make it stop!"

"Sorry, Lena," he hugged me tighter, "I can't."

"Chuck?"

"I got nothing either," Chuck put his hands up. He got up from his chair and stuck his head out the door, "Hey, boys? Think you could help in here?"

"Is she getting withdrawals?" Sam was the first one to show up. I wouldn't be surprised if Dean didn't even bother.

"Yeah," he nodded, "She's not looking too good."

"Is she going to make it?" Dean? Wow...That must have been one hell of a scotch.

"Of course she is," Chuck giggled, "Sam did, didn't he?"

"That was a long time ago, though."

"And Sam..." my breathing became more labored and if I didn't know any better, I think I can see my grandma, "Wasn't...On Crowley's blood...Grandma...?"

"Lena," Uncle Bobby cradled me, "Both of your grandmas died before you were born. You never met either one of them."

"That's the light," Chuck reported, "Lena, stay away from Grandma."

"Is it Flo or Phyllis?" Uncle Bobby asked.

"I'm not sure," I babbled, "I'll...Ask her..."

"No!" Chuck took my hand, "Don't ask Grandma what her name is. She'll get angry at you for not remembering."

"You can do this, Lena," Sam assured, joining me at my bedside.

"Can you?" a familiar voice chimed in, "Can you really?"

"Luci..." I sighed out, feeling a strange sense of peace.

"Hey, princess. Miss me?"

"Yeah." My withdrawal started to hurt a little less.

"Luci?" Uncle Bobby gave me a look, "Uh, Chuck? Care to translate?"

"Who's Luci, Lena?" Chuck asked.

"You know, Lena," Lucifer told me, putting a hand to my cheek, "You don't look too good. Your bag's just upstairs. You still got just enough juice to get out of here. Warding be damned. You have a couple pouches of demon blood left. Why don't you go get it?"

Where there was a brief moment of peace, a sudden rush of fire pumped through my veins. The remainder of the blood did nothing but burn me on the inside. There it was. The major withdrawal pains struck like lightning. And all of a sudden, I had the first sense of clarity I've had in months. I pulled myself together and looked Lucifer dead in the eyes, "No."

"No?" Dean wondered, sharing the sentiment of everyone else in the room.

"What do you mean, no?" Chuck leaned in, studying me a little closer.

"No, Lucifer..." I put my foot down.

"Lucifer?" Sam squeaked.

"Hallucination," Chuck settled him, "It's the end of her withdrawal."

"Why not?" Lucifer pouted in the corner, "You don't need these guys. You don't need Dad. What happened to it being just the two of us."

"No," I growled, "I miss my life. I miss my brothers. Sam...Dean..."

"Yeah, Lena," Sam grabbed one hand.

"We're right here." And Dean took the other. I did the best I could to fight back the tears welling up in my eyes. And with the last amount of strength I could possibly muster, I could only get these few words out.

"I want to come home..."

 **A/N: Can I be honest? That last part made me damn near cry. The boys were good for her. And she was good for the boys. Now, next week, I'll probably be able to wrap it up with a neat little bow. But this week, I have another chapter to finish tonight, so I can spend Friday doing some heavy baking for my best friend's baby shower. Do the cake for her, Lumi. It'll be fun. Or it'll be hell. Either way. See you next chapter! xx**


	30. Night Moves

**A/N: Hi, guys. I hate to say this, but this is it. Like…It, it. Like…Last chapter. I'll be mushy later. Go on…Read this week's chapter. You know you want to.**

A whole week without juicing. Sure, it was hell. My veins caught fire more than I would've liked. The mere thought of food was enough to make me puke. The pain...Oh, god, the unbearable pain...If I didn't have Chuck by my bedside taking as much of it away as possible, I would've begged for death. I would've been desperate enough to summon a reaper to take me. But dammit, I did it. As much as I wanted to forget this whole mess ever happened, it needed to be talked about. And I think I'm finally ready.

Although, I will say this. I missed the bunker. It's nice that Sam and Dean let me detox in my room. No one was ever allowed in my room (except for Cas that one time), but I didn't really have the status to object right now. When I woke up this time around, though, I woke up alone. No Chuck. No Cas. No Uncle Bobby silently judging me while viciously yelling at me. No Sam and Dean. If I didn't know any better, I'd think I had the bunker to myself.

The footsteps growing louder toward my room and the gentle knocks at my door told a different tale. I had a little bit of strength in me. I could probably handle any company, "Come in."

The door hinges creaked, uncovering the angel on the other side with a sheepish smile on his face. Then again, I should expect nothing less from him, "Hello, Lena. I'm glad to see you're awake."

"Hi, Cas," I sat up in bed, "Please. Come in."

"Thank you," he pulled up a chair, "How are you feeling?"

"A bit achy," I reported, "Kind of tired."

"Any cravings for demon blood?" Cas asked hesitantly, "Or angel grace, for that matter?"

""No," I promised, "It's all out of my system."

"Sam," Cas stuck his head out the door, "Lena's awake."

"Lena..." Sam made a beeline for my bed. He sat down and hugged me tightly, "How you feeling?"

"I've been better," I reveled in my brother's embrace, "But I'll be ok. So, what? No Dean?"

Sam and Cas exchanged nervous glances. Almost if they were calling not it through mental telepathy. There was something neither one of them wanted to tell me. And I already had an inkling. Honestly, I couldn't blame him. Or them for keeping it to themselves. I could understand their hesitation, but my god, if they could just spit it out, the world would be so much simpler.

"I get it, guys," I rolled my eyes, "Dean's not coming."

"Sorry, Lena," Sam winced, "I wish things were better, too."

"But," Cas chimed in, "He might be more receptive if he had more context."

"In other words," I figured, "I should probably explain myself, shouldn't I?"

"It'd really help," Sam admitted, "So, maybe you could start from the beginning."

"Define the beginning."

"When you ran off." Subtlety never was Castiel's specialty.

"Alright..." I began, "When I left, we were fresh off of beating Lucifer, part one. I had all the angel grace out of me. And I had a strange realization that, if I continued down the path I was on, I was destined to be nothing more than the Winchesters' damsel in distress. There was no way in hell I was going to let that happen, so I took control of it and left. You two were actually pretty close to finding me a few months later."

"What do you mean?" Sam wondered, his big, puppy eyes sparkling with worry.

"A couple years back," I explained, "You and Sam were in Missouri, right? Working a haunting case?"

"Yeah," he nodded, giving me a look, "How do you know about that?"

"There was a diner in town," I went on, "And a nice, older lady that ran it. I think her name was Vivian."

"Yeah..." Sam started putting more pieces together.

"You were saying you were working a missing persons case," I remembered, "But I was behind the counter when you guys came in. I was nowhere near ready to deal with you guys yet. Everything upstairs was still pretty scrambled. Vivian had let me live with her for a while before I got on my feet and she knew about my brothers. At first, she thought I was on the run. Then, she realized I was just another runaway. And Vivian was going to protect me at all costs."

"I still remember what breakfast tasted like," he smiled, "It was way too similar to your cooking to be anyone else's. You were working a legit job, though?"

"For the first time in my life," I nodded, "Aside from playing at the bar. And I might have gotten ten bucks per show. But then, because I didn't want you guys catching too much of my scent, I had to leave. So, I bummed around the Midwest for a while and kept driving until I hit coast. That's how I ended up in Baltimore. I got a real job there, too. And things were pretty stable for a couple years. I lived on coffee, cigarettes, whiskey, and leftover Chinese food. Thank God for the nuns putting me in that whole big brother, big sister program because my big sister taught me more about running tech than I could ever want to know."

"Running tech?" Cas wondered. Oh, how the human lexicon perplexes the celestial being.

"Doing the lights and sound for a stage show," I elaborated, "That was my job. But my asshat director made me, and I'm quoting here, serenade him. If I would've said no, I bet Crowley never would've found me."

"Crowley found you in Baltimore?" Sam asked.

"Yep," I chirped, "When he brought you and Dean to that theater to see Chicago and said it was just to introduce you to a little culture? He wasn't wanting to give you culture. He was testing me. He knew I wouldn't be able to handle you two. Not the way I was. And he saw my weakness as opportunity. I needed to be stronger. I wanted to be stronger. I hated feeling like I was at the bottom of the barrel, so I decided to pal around with him for a while. Crowley got me. I screwed up. Can we move on now?"

"You did screw up," Sam confirmed, cradling me a little closer, "There's no doubt about that. But what matters right now is that you're ok. We can be mad all we want, but at the end of the day, we still need you around. And I'm glad you're back."

"We all are," Cas added, "Even if Dean's too proud right now to admit it."

"And you don't want any more blood?" Sam hoped.

"No," I shook my head, "I'm good. I'm pretty sure I've kicked this."

"Good," he wasn't letting me go, "Good, good, good."

Cas put his hand to my forehead, checking me over, "You're clean, Lena. You still may feel a little weak for a while, but you'll be ok. For the most part. As long as you keep the fluids of celestial beings out of your stomach, you should be healed in no time."

"Thanks, guys," I laid my head on Sam's chest, listening to his rhythmic heartbeat. I nearly fell back to sleep, "So, Cas...You forgive me?"

"As long as you swear not to do it again," he hid a little smile from me, "Yes. I forgive you."

"Yeah," I let out a little yawn, "I think after my adventures in demon blood, I'm scared straight."

"I was hoping my precautionary tale would've scared you straight," Sam teased.

"But idiot me wasn't having it."

"You're not an idiot, Lena," he promised, "You just had a lapse. You're fine."

"So," I thought a little more, "What about Crowley? Is he still on the hooks downstairs?"

"What do you mean?"

"I, uh..." I bit my lip, "In my aforementioned adventures in demon blood, Crowley's was pretty top shelf. Like, top shelf, behind the glass, and you have to talk to the guy behind the counter to get the key. When I was ruling Hell, Crowley came back down to retake his throne, but I wasn't having it. I had been taking incubus blood at this point."

"When the hell did you find an incubus?" Sam gasped, questioning my sanity.

"When we did that job in Illinois," I reminded him, "Annie. You remember Annie, right? The first time I had been back to school since the orphanage fire."

"Yeah," he remembered, "Why?"

"Xander, the guy from English that took me back to Hartford," I explained, "I summoned him after Crowley cut me off and screwed me over, so I'd still have a blood source. But all that aside, I was jacked up on incubus blood and I kept getting stronger with every drink. I kicked the crap out of Crowley and put him on meat hooks in Hell. He got around-the-clock ass beatings and more importantly, I've been draining his blood from him."

"Chuck's taking care of him," Sam got real nervous real quick, "Are you sure you're perfectly fine now?"

"Yes," I grumbled, "I'm not that sadistic anymore. Just my usual levels of sadism."

"The demon blood was distorting her thinking," Cas explained, "I checked her myself, Sam. She's fine now."

"Good," Sam pushed my hair out of my face, "Now, do you plan on going back to Hell?"

"Don't get me wrong," I admitted, "Ruling Hell for a while was fun, but my god, it's exhausting. But that power...Do you know how kickass it is to have control over all the demons in Hell? It's freakin' awesome!"

"Lena..."

"But!" I settled him, "I don't need that kind of power anymore. It's too much for little old me."

"Don't scare me like that," Sam put me back down on my bed, "Why don't you get some rest, kiddo? We can talk more later."

"No," I fought him, "I feel fine."

"No," Cas held me down, "Trust me. You need to get some rest. Demon blood withdrawal is never pleasant."

"Yeah," Sam agreed, "The more sleep you can get, the better."

"Fine..." I caved, nestling down into my blanket, "I guess I'll just lay here, watch some Netflix."

"Exactly," he demanded, "You worry about getting better."

"What about Dean?" I worried.

"He'll come around," Cas promised, "For now, please rest."

"I will," I laid my head on my pillow, "Night, boys."

"Good night, Lena," Sam pulled my quilt over me a little better, "And by the way..."

"Hmm?"

A little smile crept across his face, melting my heart, "Welcome home. We really did miss you around here."

"I love you, too," I shut my eyes for a minute or two. It wasn't long before I fell asleep. That was a weight off my shoulders. I had Cas and Sam's forgiveness. All I needed now was one more. Dean's a tough cookie to crack. Hopefully, Cas can get him to come around. I love both my brothers, but I had a special relationship with Dean. We clicked a little differently than Sam and me.

Regardless, it's good to be home. I got my boys. I got the bunker. Hot damn, it's good to be home. I wonder...I doubt Sam and Dean went through my room. If that's the case, then that means...I looked under my bed and son of a bitch! My liquor cabinet's still here! Well...Most of it was stolen from Dean, but that's here nor there. I got whiskey and that's all that matters! Looks like I'm drinking it straight. That's fine. I don't want anything watering my buzz down. I took out one of my glasses and cracked the Jack open.

"Hey," a familiar voice rumbled, "Didn't I ever teach you that it's sad to drink alone?"

"You want one while I'm pouring?" I offered, pouring my own first. I know it's out of turn, but I don't have enough confirmation and I would absolutely love a drink right now.

"Sure," Dean came in, pulling up a seat. I gave him my glass and poured another for myself.

Aaaaaand...Silence. Long, awkward silence. I thought a casual glass of whiskey between friends would've broken the ice. But to no avail. Dean savored his drink, taking his sweet time. But then, he finally broke the silence, "I could've killed you, Lena."

"I know..." I could hardly speak. I knew he was pissed, but I didn't think he was still that pissed.

"I heard some rumors a while back," he told me, "Some hunters were hot on the trail of what they thought was a demon with purple eyes in Denver."

"Really?" I winced, knowing damn well who that was.

"But we kept them off your back," Dean assured, "You might have been a pain in the ass and slowly turning into a monster, but you were still family."

"Thank you," my stomach started to ease, "Look, Dean, I know I..."

"No," he cut me off, "I heard you talking to Sam and Cas. You don't need to repeat yourself. Grab your shoes."

"What for?" I wondered.

"We're going for a drive," Dean insisted, finishing his drink, "Don't worry. I'll leave my gun here. If I was taking you to your death, Sam would never forgive me. And I don't know about you, but I like my brother. We don't do well without each other."

"Because you two have such a beautiful codependency that will be spoken of for generations?" I figured.

"Lena..."

"Alright," I grabbed my shoes from the end of my bed and Dean snuck me out of the bunker. I'm not quite sure how well this is going to go. I love my brother, but I may be slipping my knife in my boot, "Hey, Dean?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you have my car?" I hoped.

"Of course I do," he promised, my keys dangling from his pinky, "Like I'm going to leave that on its own wherever."

"Good," I took my jacket off my chair and threw it over my shoulders. Although I'd be taking a huge leap here, I couldn't help myself, "And Dean?"

"Yes, Lena," Dean sounded like he was starting to get annoyed with me.

"Are..." I crossed my fingers in my pockets, "Are we...Are we good?"

He looked at me like I just punched him in the stomach. Maybe my words did in their own special way. Dean's heart shattered in his eyes. He wanted to stay mad at me. He really did. Dean wanted to hold this grudge until the cows come home. But then, in a sudden change of heart, Dean threw his arms around me, holding onto me like he was afraid to lose me, "Yeah. We're good."

The two of us suppressed as much emotion as we could and got in my car. I know Dean gets pissy when he's not the one driving, but in my defense, this was my car. And if I remember the house rules right, I get to turn on any jams I want to and Dean's just going to have to take it. However, I knew just what to play right now. A soft, acoustic guitar riff played.

Dean looked over at me with half a smirk on his face, "Really, Lena?"

"What?" I giggled, feeling so much more at ease, "I was a little too tall, could've used a few pounds..."

"Lena..."

"Tight pants points, hardly renown," I continued singing.

"Lena..." Dean was trying to force back a smile. Keyword, trying.

"You love a black-haired beauty with big blue eyes!" I sang, jabbing my finger in my brother's shoulder.

"Dammit, Lena," he chuckled to himself.

"Points all his own," I went on, "From way up high..."

"Shut up, Lena." There it was. There's what I was looking for. Not only did I put a smile on Dean's face, but I think I might've made him blush a little, too.

"What?" I teased, "Tell me we can't jam Night Moves and I will say too damn bad."

"I'm never going to turn down Night Moves," Dean's knee started bouncing.

"Hell yeah!" I squeaked, "There's nothing in our lives that can't be summed up in a Bob Segar song."

"Damn right," he nodded, "Hold on. You ready to take it home, sister?"

"Yes, sir!" I beamed, waiting for the chorus to hit. The windows were down. The back roads were empty. The music's up. I had the love of my brother back. The two of us were back to belting out the classics in my car again. Damn, it's good to be home. And I couldn't wait to see where the road's taking us next.

 **A/N: And so, another chapter in the Winchester gospels. I'll miss writing for Supernatural. I really will. But I do have a different Supernatural story waiting in the wings. I might start posting that next week, if that's cool. It's a little Destiel-ish and I got the idea for it at three in the morning, but it's a delight. I promise you. (AlsoIlovethatLenacalledDeanoutonCasthankyouforcomingtomyTEDtalk.) It's been fun, you guys. It really has. I'm not totally sure if this is going to get another sequel, but I'll be sure to let you guys know via either Twitter or I'll post about it in my bio. I don't know. We'll talk. I have a chapter to outline for tomorrow, so I'm going to go. I love you and I'll see you later. xx**


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